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JUSTIN  S.  MORRILL 

Born  in  Strafford,  April  14,  1810.  He  became  a  prosperous 
merchant  in  his  native  town  and  in  1854  was  elected  to 
Congress.  He  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee  and  later  became  its  chairman.  He  had 
charge  of  the  tariff  bill  which  bore  his  name  and  which  fur- 
nished revenue  for  the  Government  during  the  Civil  War. 
He  introduced  a  land  grant  college  bill  providing  for  the 
establishment  of  colleges  which  should  furnish  instruction 
in  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts.  President  Buchanan 
vetoed  the  measure,  but  it  was  passed  again  and  signed  by 
President  Lincoln.  The  act  is  one  of  the  landmarks  in  the 
history  of  education  in  America.  In  1866  he  was  transferred 
to  the  Senate  where  he  was  for  many  years  chairman  of 
the  Finance  Committee. 

No  public  man  has  been  more  active  than  he  in  the  erection 
and  improvement  of  the  great  public  buildings  at  the  national 
capital.  He  died  December  28,  1898,  aged  eighty-eight 
years,  having  served  in  the  House  and  Senate  more  than 
forty-three  years,  the  longest  period  of  continuous  service 
in  Congress  in  American  historj'. 


VERMONT 

The  Green  Mountain  State 


BY 

Walter  Hill  Crockett 

author  of 

Vermont— Its  Resources  and  Opportunities 

History  of  Lake  Champlain 

George   Franklin   Edmunds 


Volume  Three 


The  Centtjry  History  Company,  Inc. 

New  York 

1921 


W 


THE  K'CW  YCr;K 
PUBLIC  LIERARY 

5R95S8A 

AtTOr-l,  LENOX  AND 

TILOEN  KOUNDATiONS 

«  1931  L 


Copyright  1921 
BY  The  Century  History  Company 

ALL   RIGHTS    RESERVED 


Publication  Office 

8  West  47th  Street,  New  York 

U.  S.  A. 


To  THE  Memory  of 
George  Grenville  Benedict 

AND 

HoRACB  Ward  Bailey 

Who  encouraged  and  aided  the  author 

in  his  study  of  Vermont  history, 

these  volumes  are  dedicated. 


CONTEXTS 
CHAPTER  XXX 

THE   EMBARGO  ACT  AND  THE   WAR   OF  1812 

Effect  of  the  EmbarRO  Act. 

Extent  of  Smuggling  Oi)erations. 

The  Black  Snake  Episode. 

John  Henry's  Errand. 

Declaration  of  War  and  Its  Effect  in  Vermont. 

War  Laws  Enacted. 

Lieutenant  Macdonough  Assigned  to  Lake  Champlain. 

Congressman  Bradley  Criticises  War  Policy. 

Burlington  an  Important  Military  Post. 

Loss  of  the  Oroicler  and  Eagle. 

Raid   at   Swanton. 

Martin  Chittenden  Elected  Governor. 

Troops  Ordered  Home  from  Plattsburg. 

Criticism  of  Vermont's  Governor. 

Fleet  Built  at  Vergennes. 

British  Attack  at  Mouth  of  Otter  Creek. 

Land  and  Naval   Victory  at  Plattsburg. 

Part  Taken  by  Vermonters. 

Macdonough  and  His  Officers  Entertained  at  Burlington. 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE 

Business  Depression  Following  the  War  of  1812. 

The  Famine  Year  of  1816. 

President  Monroe's  Tour  Through  Vermont. 

Vermonters  Aid  in  the  Work  of  the  Northeastern  Boundary  Com- 
mission. 

Bep;inning  of  the  Temperance  Movement. 

Decline  of  the  Federalist  Party. 

Vermont's  Opposition  to  Slavery  in  Legislative  Resolutions 
Adopted. 

The  Census  of  1820. 

Industrial   Conditions  in  the   State. 

Growing  Sentiment  in  Favor  of  Protective  Tariff. 

Invention  of  a  Steamboat  by  Samuel  Moray. 

Opening  of  the  Champlain  Canal. 

Heman  Allen  First  United  States  Minister  to  Chili. 

General  Lafayette  Visits  Vermont. 

Agitation  in  Favor  of  Canals. 

The  Van  Ness-Seymour  Senatorial  Contest. 

William  Jarvis  a  Protective  Tariff  Leader. 

Rollin  C.  Mallary  Leads  Protective  Tariff  Forces  in  Congress. 

Disastrous  Freshet  of  1830. 

The  Census  of  1830. 


X  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Death  of  Mr.  Mallary. 

The  Anti-Masonic  Movement. 

Demand  for  Railroads  Results  in  Granting  of  Charters. 

Second  State  House  Built. 

Rise  of  the  Whig  and  Democratic  Parties. 

The  Canadian  Rebellion. 

CHAPTER  XXXn 

THE  GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY 

Vermont  Protests  Against  the  Annexation  of  Texas. 

Resolutions    Embarrass    Senator   Calhoun. 

Congressman  Slade  Fights  the  Slave  Power. 

The  Harrison-Tyler  Campaign. 

Daniel  Webster  Speaks  on  Stratton  Mountain. 

The  Census  of  1840. 

Growth  of  the  Sheep  Industry. 

Personal  Liberty  Bill  Passed  by  Legislature. 

Building  of  Vermont  Central  and   Rutland  Railroads. 

Attitude  of  the  State  Toward  and  Its  Part  in  the  Mexican  War. 

A  Liquor  License  Law  Enacted. 

Jacob  Collamer  Appointed  Postmaster  General  in  President  Taylor's 

Cabinet. 
Emigration  to  California. 

Senator  Phelps  on  Important  Slavery  Committee. 
Census  of  1850. 

Prohibitory  Liquor  Law  Adopted. 
Coalition  of  Democrats  and  Free  Soilers  Elects  John  S.  Robinson 

Governor. 

CHAPTER  XXXHI 

THE   RISE   OF  REPUBLICAN   PARTY 

Indignation  Aroused  by  the  Repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise. 
Mass  Meeting  Held  at  Montpelier  to  Protest  Against  Extension  of 

Slavery. 
Coalition  of  Whigs  and  Anti-Slavery  Elements  Effected  in  Summer 

of  1854. 
Name  Republican  First  Used  in  County  Conventions. 
Rise   of  American   Party,   Sweeping  Victory   for   New   Republican 

Party. 
Justin    S.   Morrill   Goes   to   Congress   and   Jacob   Collamer   to   the 

Senate. 
End  of  the  Whig  Party. 

Vermonters  in  Congress  Active  in  Opposing  Slavery. 
Southern   States  Exasperated  by  Vermont's  Anti-Slavery  Policies. 
Sympathy  and  Aid  for  Kansas. 
First   Republican    National   Convention   Called   to   Order  by   I^aw- 

rence  Brainerd  of  Vermont. 
State  House  Burned. 
Attempt  to  Remove  Capital  from  Montpelier  Defeated. 


CONTEXTS  XI 

Mr.  Morrill  Introduces  Land  Grant  College  Bill,  which  Is  Vetoed 
by  President  Buchanan. 

Personal  Liberty  Bills  Passed  by  Legislature  are  Drastic  Anti- 
Slavery  Measures. 

The  Census  of  1860. 

The  Morrill  Tariff  Act  and  Its  Importance. 

Democrats  Nominate  a  Native  of  Vermont,  Stephen  A.  Douglas, 
for  President. 

In  Republican  Convention  Vermont  Aids  in  Nomination  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln. 

Douglas  Visits  Vermont. 

Lincoln's    Election. 

Threats  of  Disunion. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 

THE  CIVIL  WAR 

The   Beginning   of   Hostilities. 

Judge   Smalley   Protests  Against   Acts   of  Rebellion. 

The  Peace  Conference. 

Vermont's  Part  in  Lincoln's  Inauguration. 

Uprising  When  Fort  Sumter  Is  Fired  Upon. 

Special    Legislative    Session   Authorizes    Raising    Six    Regiments 

and  Votes  $1,000,000. 
The  Various  Regiments  and  Their  Officers. 
Receptions  as  Troops  go  to  the  Front. 
The  First  Engagements. 
Activities  of  Vermonters  in  Louisiana. 
Nine  Thousand  Vermont  Troops  Sent  to  the  Front  During  First 

Year. 
Desperate  Fighting  in  the  Peninsular  Campaign. 
Morrill  Land  Grant  College  Bill  Passed. 
Stannard's  Charge  Turns  the  Tide  at  Gettysburg. 
Noble   Record   of  Vermont   Brigade. 

Activity  of  Vermont  Cavalrymen  in  Battle  of  Cedar  Creek, 
The  St.  Albans  Raid  and  the  Trial  of  the  Raiders. 
Closing  Days  of  the  War. 
Vermont  Troops  First  to  Enter  Richmond. 
Rejoicing   Over   End   of  Conflict. 
General  Wells  Commands  Cavalry  Corps. 
Vermont's  Record  During  the  Vv'^ar  Summarized  by  Governor  Smith. 


As  President  Jefferson's  administration  drew 
toward  its  close,  Great  Britain's  attitude 
toward  the  United  States  became  increasingly 
arrogant  and  hostile.  The  war  between  France  and 
England  had  interfered  seriously  with  American  com- 
merce. The  British  had  seized  and  searched  American 
ships  and  impressed  American  seamen.  In  April,  1806, 
a  non-importation  act  was  passed  by  the  American  Con- 
gress at  the  President's  suggestion  which  harmed  Great 
Britain  very  little  and  America  very  much.  The  attack 
of  the  British  cruiser  Leopard  upon  the  American 
frigate  Chesapeake,  off  Hampton  Roads,  in  June,  1807, 
when  the  latter  ship  was  fired  upon,  searched  and  sev- 
eral men  taken  from  her  as  deserters,  infuriated  the 
greater  part  of  the  American  people.  War  seemed 
almost  inevitable;  and  the  people  of  Vermont  knew  that 
for  them  such  a  policy  would  be  no  holiday  affair,  be- 
cause if  war  was  declared,  Canada  was  the  natural  mili- 
tary base  for  British  armies,  and  the  ancient  highway 
from  the  Dominion  to  the  United  States  was  by  way  of 
Lake  Champlain. 

The  temper  of  the  people  of  Vermont  in  this  crisis 
is  shown  in  an  address  to  President  Jefferson,  adopted 
in  the  Assembly  by  a  vote  of  169  to  1,  and  concurred  in 
by  the  Council,  which  contained  the  following  stirring 
declaration : 

"We,  the  Governor,  Council  and  House  of  Representa- 
tives of  the  State  of  Vermont,  viewing  with  indignation 
and  abhorrence  the  violent  and  unjustifiable  conduct  of 
the  cruisers  of  His  Britannic  Majesty,  in  the  impress- 
ment and  murder  of  American  citizens,  and  the  plunder 


HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 


of  their  property  upon  the  high  seas,  and  even  in  the 
very  entrance  of  our  harbors,  and  more  especially  in 
the  late  hostile  attack,  made  with  circumstances  of  un- 
paralleled malignity  upon  the  American  national  frigate 
Chesapeake  by  the  British  ship  of  war  Leopard, 

"Do  Resolve,  That,  at  this  awful  crisis,  when  our 
national  honor  and  independence  are  insulted  by  a  nation 
wath  whom  we,  forgetful  of  former  injuries,  have  not 
only  endeavored  to  cultivate  harmony  by  preserving  a 
strict  and  perfect  neutrality,  but,  to  conciliate  their 
friendship  by  every  act  of  benevolence,  humanity  and 
assistance  compatible  with  the  justice  due  to  ourselves 
and  others,  it  is  the  duty  of  every  American  to  rally 
around  the  constituted  authorities  of  his  country,  and 
to  support  them  with  his  life  and  fortune  in  resisting 
any  encroachments  on  our  national  and  individual  rights 
by  any  foreign  power  whatever,  and  in  procuring  redress 
for  the  many  injuries  we  have  sustained,  and  which  our 
patient  and  friendly  forbearance  has  suffered  too  long; 
injuries  committed  in  a  manner  unusually  barbarous  and 
calculated  to  fix  an  indelible  disgrace  upon  the  British 
character. 

"And  it  is  further  Resolved,  That  we  do  accord  our 
warmest  admiration  to  the  measures  adopted  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States  on  this  occasion,  and  that 
we  have  the  most  perfect  confidence  in  his  wisdom,  in- 
tegrity, and  ability,  so  to  direct  the  energies  of  the  Gov- 
ernment as  to  preserve  our  honor  as  a  nation  free  from 
taint  or  reproach,  and  our  liberties  as  individuals  secure 
from  violation. 


EMBARC;0   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812        T) 

"And  we  do  furlher  for  ourselves  and  our  constituents 
declare  that,  fearless  of  the  dangers  to  (which)  we  may 
be  exposed  as  a  frontier  State,  we  shall  be  ever  ready  to 
obey  the  call  of  our  common  country,  whenever  it  shall 
be  necessary,  either  for  the  purpose  of  redress  or 
vengeance. 

''And  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  resolu- 
tion be  made  and  immediately  transmitted  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States." 

The  President's  reply  was  prompt,  being  written  on 
December  1,  but  its  tone  was  cautious,  and  somewhat 
perfunctory,  reflecting  his  well  known  reluctance  to 
adopt  aggressive  measures  that  might  lead  to  war.  He 
declared  that  the  sentiments  of  the  Vermont  Legislature 
"are  worthy  of  their  known  patriotism;  and  their  read- 
iness to  rally  round  the  constituted  authorities  of  their 
country,  and  to  support  its  rights  with  their  lives  and 
fortunes  is  the  more  honorable  to  them  as  exposed  by 
their  position  in  front  of  the  contest." 

The  Embargo  Act  became  a  law  on  December  22, 
1807,  two  Vermont  Congressmen,  Fisk  and  Witherell, 
voting  for  the  bill,  and  two,  Chittenden  and  Elliot, 
against  it.  Matthew  Lyon,  formerly  of  Vermont,  but 
now  a  Kentucky  Congressman,  was  recorded  against  the 
measure.  Under  the  terms  of  the  act  American  ships 
were  not  permitted  to  leave  the  ports  of  the  United 
States  for  those  of  any  other  nation.  Ships  of  other 
nations  might  not  enter  American  ports  with  cargoes 
to  be  discharged.  All  foreign  commerce  was  suddenly 
stopped.     Ships  engaged  in  the  coasting  trade  must  give 


6  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

bonds  that  their  cargoes  would  be  landed  at  American 
and  not  at  foreign  ports. 

The  Embargo  Act  was  President  Jefferson's  method 
of  retaliation  against  Great  Britain,  hoping  in  this  man- 
ner to  punish  that  nation  by  cutting  oft*  her  valuable 
foreign  trade  with  the  United  States.  He  was  deter- 
mined that  there  should  be  no  war,  and  the  policy  of 
his  administration  reflected  his  personal  views.  Wood- 
row  Wilson  in  his  "History  of  the  American  People," 
says:  "Mr.  Jefferson  had  brought  a  party  to  power 
which  had  dismantled  the  navy  which  the  FederaHsts 
had  begun.  The  few  ships  that  remained  were  tied  up 
at  the  docks,  out  of  repair,  out  of  commission,  or  lack- 
ing crews  and  equipment."  The  United  States,  there- 
fore, was  ill  prepared  to  fight  the  navy  of  Great  Britain. 
So  strong  was  the  President's  hold  upon  Congress,  how- 
ever, that  the  Embargo  Act  was  passed,  because  he 
favored  its  passage. 

The  act  aroused  intense  opposition,  hostility  being 
exceedingly  bitter  in  New  England,  noted  for  its  com- 
merce, this  region  being  paralyzed  by  the  Embargo  law. 
Almost  immediately  smuggling  began,  and  the  Vermont 
border  being  close  to  the  larger  Canadian  towns,  was 
a  natural  base  of  operation  for  illicit  traffic. 

The  effect  of  the  embargo  has  been  described  by 
Woodrow  Wilson  as  follows:  "The  States  themselves 
suffered  from  the  act  more  than  the  nations  whose  trade 
they  struck  at.  America's  own  trade  was  ruined. 
Ships  rotted  at  the  wharves, — the  ships  which  had  but 
yesterday  carried  the  commerce  of  the  world.  The 
quays  were  deserted.     Nothing  would  sell  any  more  at 


EMBARC;0   ACT   AXI)   WAR   OF    1812         7 

its  old  price.  =i^  *  *  j^  ^^^g  mere  bankruptcy  for  the 
whole  country.  No  vigilance  or  compulsion  could 
really  enforce  the  act,  it  is  true.  Smuggling  took  the 
place  of  legitimate  trade  where  it  could." 

Various  supplementary  laws  followed  the  Embargo 
Act,  in  January,  March  and  April,  1808.  The  second 
of  these,  known  as  "the  Land  Embargo,"  passed  on 
March  12,  went  into  effect  shortly  before  navigation 
might  be  expected  to  open  on  Lake  Champlain.  The 
people  of  northern  and  northeastern  Vermont  had  been 
accustomed  to  find  a  market  for  timber  and  pot  and  pearl 
ashes  in  Canada,  and  the  act  suspending  commercial 
relations  caused  much  distress.  Customs  officials  were 
not  particularly  zealous  in  enforcing  the  law  and  juries 
were  reluctant  to  convict  violations  of  the  Embargo 
Act.  On  April  1,  1808,  the  Collector  of  Customs,  Jabez 
Penniman,  notified  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  Gallatin 
that  it  was  impossible  to  enforce  the  law  without  mili- 
tary aid.  The  President  consulted  with  Senator  Rob- 
inson and  Congressman  Witherell  of  Vermont,  who  in- 
formed him  that  the  trouble  would  be  over  early  in  May, 
when,  as  a  result  of  the  lowering  of  the  Richelieu  River, 
after  the  high  water  of  spring  had  subsided,  the 
Chambly  Rapids  no  longer  would  be  passable  for  rafts 
carrying  smuggled  timber  and  other  products.  Jeffer- 
son therefore  directed  Gallatin  to  instruct  Collector  Pen- 
niman to  equip  and  arm  such  vessels  as  might  be  neces- 
sary, and  to  engage  crews  for  the  same,  "voluntarily,  by 
force  of  arms,  or  otherwise,  to  enforce  the  law."  If 
further  assistance  should  be  needed,  the  Secretary  of 
State  was  directed  to  authorize  the  United  States  Mar- 


8  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

shal  to  raise  a  posse  "to  aid  in  suppressing  the  insurrec- 
tion or  combination."  If  the  posse  should  prove  insuffi- 
cient the  Secretary  of  War  was  ordered  to  call  on  the 
militia  for  aid,  and  was  requested  to  repair  to  the  place 
"and  lend  the  aid  of  his  counsel  and  authority."  A 
proclamation  was  furnished,  to  be  issued  if  necessary, 
and  the  President  informed  Secretary  Gallatin  that  it 
had  been  determined  to  build  two  gunboats  at  Skenes- 
borough  (Whitehall),  N.  Y. 

A  Presidential  proclamation  was  published  in 
Spooner's  Vermont  Journal,  May  9,  1808,  declaring 
that  information  had  been  received  "that  sundry  persons 
are  combined  or  combining  and  confederating  together 
on  Lake  Champlain  and  the  country  thereto  adjacent, 
for  the  purposes  of  forming  insurrections  against  the 
authority  of  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  for  opposing 
the  same  and  obstructing  their  execution.  The  Presi- 
dent therefore  warned  any  persons  directly  or  indirectly 
concerned  "in  any  insurrection,"  and  commanded  "such 
insurgents,  and  all  concerned  in  such  combinations,  in- 
stantly and  without  delay  to  disperse  themselves  and 
retire  peaceably  to  their  respective  abodes."  Smuggling 
there  was  in  abundance,  but  there  is  no  evidence  that 
there  was  either  insurrection  or  combination  against  the 
Government.  In  June,  1808,  a  town  meeting  held  in 
St.  Albans  "positively  and  unequivocally"  declared  that 
in  the  opinion  of  the  citizens  of  that  town  the  conduct 
of  the  citizens  of  the  district  had  furnished  no  cause  for 
President  Jefferson's  proclamation,  and  asserted  "that 
the  same  must  have  been  issued  in  consequence  of 
erroneous   and   unfounded   representations,    made   and 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   Ol'    1H12         !) 

transmitted  to  the  Hxccutivc  department  of  the  United 
States  by  some  evil-minded  person  or  persons."  It  was 
declared  that  if  individuals  "finding  themselves  and  their 
families  on  the  verge  of  ruin  and  wretchedness,"  had 
attempted  successfully  to  evade  the  restrictions  of  the 
embargo,  this  did  not  justify  proclaiming  to  the  world 
that  insurrection  and  rebellion  prevailed  in  the  district. 

There  was  much  smuggling  in  the  vicinity  of  Alburg. 
Its  location,  a  peninsula,  extending  from  the  mainland 
of  Canada  into  Lake  Champlain,  afforded  unusual  facili- 
ties for  such  operations.  Dress  goods  often  were  de- 
posited near  the  line,  carried  by  men  on  their  backs 
through  the  woods  and  secreted  until  they  could  be  trans- 
ported by  teams  or  boats  to  their  destination.  It  is  said 
that  merchants  in  Troy  and  Albany  hired  men  to  bring 
foreign  goods  into  the  country  in  this  way.  On  one 
occasion  a  customs  ofificer,  who  had  leaped  on  board  a 
smuggling  craft,  was  carried  across  the  boundary  line, 
put  overboard  and  left  w^here  the  water  was  chin  deep. 

Canadian  acquaintances  and  friends  would  cross  the 
line  and  leave  sums  of  money.  Soon  horses,  or  cattle, 
or  swine  were  missing,  and  their  absence  caused  no 
excitement  or  surprise.  Another  device,  recorded  by 
McMaster  in  his  ''History  of  the  People  of  the  United 
States,"  was  to  load  a  dozen  wagons  or  sleds  wdth  Ver- 
mont produce,  drive  to  a  point  on  the  international 
boundary  line  where  a  hill  sloped  abruptly  toward  the 
north,  and  build  a  rude  hut  into  which  barrels  of  flour 
or  pork,  and  other  commodities  would  be  placed.  The 
hut  was  erected  in  such  a  way  that  when  a  stone  was 
removed  from  the  foundation,  the  sides  of  the  hut  would 


10  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

collapse,  the  floor  would  give  way,  and  the  contents 
would  roll  down  the  slope  into  Canada,  where  the  arrival 
of  produce  in  this  unusual  manner  caused  no  great 
astonishment. 

A  report  printed  in  a  New  York  newspaper  in  May, 
1808,  described  immense  rafts  of  lumber  that  were  being 
collected  on  Lake  Champlain  near  the  boundary  line. 
One  was  said  to  be  nearly  half  a  mile  long,  carried  a 
ball-proof  fort,  and  was  supposed  to  carry  a  cargo  of 
wheat,  potash,  pork  and  beef,  valued  at  three  hundred 
thousand  dollars  or  upward,  being  the  surplus  produce 
for  a  year.  Moreover,  this  great  raft  was  said  to  be 
manned  by  five  hundred  or  six  hundred  armed  men,  pre- 
pared to  defy  the  customs  officials.  This  report  not  only 
was  untrue,  but  was  absurdly  untrue.  Nevertheless,  the 
fact  that  smuggling  was  carried  on  extensively  was  not 
difficult  to  prove.  In  November,  1808,  Senator  Hill- 
house  of  Connecticut  asserted  in  debate  that  "patriotism, 
cannon,  militia  and  all"  had  not  stopped  smuggling. 
Field  pieces  might  have  stopped  it  on  the  lakes,  but  the 
inhabitants  along  the  border,  he  said,  "were  absolutely 
cutting  new  roads  to  carry  it  on  by  land." 

Governor  Smith,  on  May  5,  1808,  ordered  Gen.  Levi 
House  to  call  out  a  small  detachment  of  the  first  regi- 
ment of  his  Franklin  county  brigade,  which  was 
stationed  at  Windmill  Point,  in  Alburg.  Its  task  was 
to  prevent  the  passage  of  rafts,  but  with  strong  and 
favorable  winds,  and  under  cover  of  darkness,  the  rafts 
managed  to  elude  the  militia.  A  question  being  raised 
relative  to  the  efficiency  of  the  Franklin  county  troops, 
all  but  seventy-five  were  discharged,  and  they  were  re- 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812       11 

placed  by  one  hundred  and  Tilly  Rutland  county  soldiers. 
Later  they  were  reinforced  by  a  detachment  of  United 
States  artillery.  The  Franklin  county  militia  were 
highly  indignant,  and  at  a  general  convention  of  the 
commissioned  officers  of  the  brigade,  held  June  17,  1808, 
their  discharge  and  the  substitution  of  the  Rutland 
county  militia  was  declared  to  be  an  "open,  direct  and 
most  degrading  insult."  A  few  weeks  later  citizens  of 
Franklin  county  signed  a  public  address,  justifying  the 
action  of  the  President  and  Collector  Penniman.  It 
was  asserted  that  the  lumber  and  potash  merchants  had 
declared  their  intention  to  carry  on  their  trade  by  armed 
force,  and  threatened  to  kill  the  Collector  if  he  attempted 
to  enforce  the  laws,  hinting  at  an  uprising  if  the  troops 
should  kill  any  person  in  the  process  of  law  enforce- 
ment. At  this  time  there  seems  to  have  been  much 
partisanship  in  the  various  charges  and  counter  charges. 
The  smugglers  were  resourceful  and  daring  in  their 
exploits  and  did  not  hesitate  to  employ  force.  The 
smuggling  of  cattle  and  other  Vermont  products  into 
Canada  had  become  general,  and  British  manufactured 
products  were  brought  out  in  exchange. 

A  militia  force,  commanded  by  Maj.  Charles  K.  Wil- 
liams, afterward  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  and  Gov- 
ernor, was  stationed  at  Windmill  Point,  on  the  western 
shore  of  Alburg.  A  twelve-oared  cutter  named  TJie  Fly, 
used  by  customs  officials  near  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  was 
of  material  assistance  in  checking  smuggling  operations. 
The  exploits  of  a  smuggling  craft  known  as  The  Black 
Snake  made  that  boat  the  most  widely  known  of  any  of 
its  kind  on  Lake  Champlain.     Built  originally  as  a  ferry 


12  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

boat,  to  ply  between  Charlotte  and  Essex,  N.  Y.,  it  was 
40  feet  long,  17  feet  wide,  and  equipped  with  seven  oars 
on  a  side,  and  a  sail.  The  boat  never  was  painted,  but 
was  smeared  with  tar,  making  it  black.  It  had  a 
capacity  of  one  hundred  barrels  of  ashes,  and  as  freight 
charges  of  five  or  six  dollars  a  barrel  could  be  obtained, 
its  operation  was  profitable.  It  was  manned  by  a  crew 
of  powerful  men  who  had  the  reputation  of  being  des- 
perate characters,  and  they  were  well  armed.  For 
months  The  Black  Snake  defied  the  customs  officials,  and 
transported  many  cargoes  of  pot  ashes  across  the  Cana- 
dian border.  Large  quantities  were  taken  from  St. 
Albans  Bay,  thence  by  various  creeks  and  obscure  inlets 
to  Missisquoi  Bay,  across  Cook's  Bay  and  into  Canada 
about  one  mile  north  of  Alburg  Springs. 

The  Government  of^cials  were  determined  to  capture 
the  craft,  and  on  August  1,  1808,  Lieut.  Daniel  Farring- 
ton  of  Brandon,  Sergt.  David  D.  Johnson  and  twelve 
infantry  privates  were  detailed  to  The  Fly  with  orders 
to  pursue  The  Black  Snake.  The  smugglers  remained 
in  seclusion  on  the  North  Hero  shore  during  the  day 
and  at  night  proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  the  Winooski 
River,  entering  apparently  for  a  cargo.  The  boat  was 
armed  with  spike  poles  to  keep  off  revenue  boats,  large 
clubs,  a  basket  of  stones,  and  a  wall  piece,  or  blunder- 
buss, a  gun  eight  feet,  two  inches  long,  with  a  bore  of 
one  and  one- fourth  inches,  carrying  fifteen  bullets. 
Each  member  of  the  crew  was  armed  with  a  gun. 
Owing  to  rumors  of  pursuit  the  crew  of  The  Black  Snake 
worked  all  night  August  2-3,  running  bullets,  as  the 
supply  of  ammunition  was  low. 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812       13 

On  Wednesday  morning,  August  3,  the  revenue  offi- 
cers found  the  craft  about  three  miles  up  the  river,  made 
fast  to  the  shore.  Capt.  Truman  Mudgett  of  Ilighgate 
warned  the  officers  not  to  touch  the  boat,  Init  Lieutenant 
1^'arrington  and  others  went  on  board  and  attempted  to 
take  possession.  Capt.  Jonathan  Ormsby  of  Burlington 
liad  joined  the  Government  officials.  In  the  contest  that 
followed  Captain  Ormsby  and  two  soldiers,  Ellis  Drake 
of  Clarendon  and  Asa  Marsh  of  Rutland,  were  killed, 
and  Lieutenant  Farrington  was  severely  wounded. 
Sergeant  Johnson  and  a  detachment  of  soldiers  made  a 
dash  and  captured  all  but  two  of  the  smugglers.  The 
men  who  escaped  were  arrested  later  and  all  were  lodged 
in  jail  at  Burlington. 

A  public  funeral  was  held  at  Burlington  on  Thurs- 
day, Augvist  4.  The  bodies  were  escorted  to  the  court 
house  by  a  militia  company  and  a  sermon  was  preached 
by  Rev.  Samuel  Williams.  This  afifair,  known  there- 
after as  "The  Black  Snake  Episode,"  caused  great  excite- 
ment. The  State  election  was  near  at  hand  and  the 
Federalists  were  charged  with  attempting  to  shield  the 
murderers.  Flaming  handbills  w^ere  circulated  adorned 
with  pictures  of  three  coffins. 

On  August  23,  less  than  three  weeks  after  the  crime 
was  committed,  the  Supreme  Court  convened  at  Burling- 
ton in  special  session.  Chief  Judge  Royall  Tyler  pre- 
sided and  with  him  sat  Judges  Theophilus  Harrington 
and  Jonas  Galusha.  C.  P.  Van  Ness,  afterward  Gov- 
ernor, was  one  of  the  prosecuting  attorneys.  On 
August  26  the  grand  jury  returned  true  bills  against 
Samuel   I.   Mott  of   Alburg,   William   Noaks,    Slocum 


14  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Clark  and  Truman  Mudgett  of  Highgate,  Cyrus  B.  Dean 
and  Josiah  Pease  of  Swanton,  David  Sheffield  of  Col- 
chester and  Francis  Ledgard  of  Milton.  Justice  was 
speedy,  and  on  August  29  Mott  was  found  guilty  of 
murder.  On  September  5  Dean  was  found  guilty  and 
the  same  verdict  was  returned  against  Sheffield  on  Sep- 
tember 9.  Dean  was  sentenced  to  be  hanged  on  October 
28,  but  the  Legislature  granted  him  a  reprieve  of  two 
weeks.  On  November  1 1  he  was  taken  to  the  court 
house,  where  he  listened  to  a  sermon  by  Rev.  Truman 
Barney  of  Charlotte,  after  which  he  was  executed  in 
the  presence  of  an  assemblage  estimated  at  ten  thousand 
persons.  This  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  instance 
of  capital  punishment  in  \^ermont. 

Mott  and  Sheffield  were  granted  new  trials.  At  the 
June  term  in  1809  they  were  convicted  of  manslaughter, 
and  sentenced  to  stand  one  hour  in  the  pillory,  to  receive 
fifty  lashes  each  on  the  bare  back,  and  to  serve  ten  years 
in  the  State  Prison.  Ledgard  was  found  guilty  of  man- 
slaughter and  was  given  the  same  sentence  imposed  upon 
Mott  and  Sheffield,  with  the  exception  of  the  flogging. 
These  three  men  were  received  at  Windsor  the  second 
day  after  the  prison  was  opened.  Ledgard  was  par- 
doned in  18n,  Sheffield  in  1815,  and  Mott  in  1817.  At 
the  June  term  of  court  in  1809,  Mudgett  was  tried,  but 
the  jury  disagreed  and  the  next  year  the  case  was  dis- 
continued. 

These  cases  were  among  the  most  famous  in  the  his- 
tory of  early  Vermont  jurisprudence,  and  the  trials  were 
held  in  a  time  of  bitter  political  strife,  when  the  hard- 
ships of  the  embargo  bore  heavily  upon  nearly  all  classes 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812       15 

of  people,  and  smuggling  was  looked  upon  with  tolerance 
by  a  large  nuniljer  of  respectable  citizens.  During  the 
term  of  court  when  these  cases  were  tried,  the  grand 
jury  i)ublished  an  address  in  which,  alluding  to  The 
Black  Snake  affair,  satisfaction  was  expressed  that 
strangers  from  without  Chittenden  county  were  the 
principal  actors.  "The  loyalty  and  patience  of  our  fel- 
low citizens"  was  viewed  with  admiration;  and  it  was 
declared  that  "the  charges  of  insurrection  and  rebellion 
lately  exhibited  against  them  are  vile  aspersions  against 
the  honor  and  dignity  of  the  county."  All  of  which 
shows  that  the  spirit  of  partisanship  was  not  always 
banished  from  court  affairs. 

At  a  special  session  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court, 
held  at  Burlington  in  November,  1808,  Judges  Brock- 
hoist  Livingston  and  Elijah  Paine  presiding,  Frederick. 
Job,  and  John  Hoxie  were  tried  for  high  treason,  being 
charged  with  levying  war  against  the  United  States,  but 
were  acquitted. 

The  principal  candidates  of  the  Republican  party  for 
the  Presidential  nomination  in  1808  were  James  Madi- 
son, Secretary  of  State,  and  James  Monroe,  Minister  to 
Great  Britain,  both  Virginians.  Jefferson  favored 
Madison  as  his  successor.  Upon  request  of  many  of  the 
Republican  members  of  Congress,  Senator  Stephen  R. 
Bradley  of  Vermont,  on  January  20,  1808,  issued  a 
printed  circular  inviting  members  of  that  party  in  Con- 
gress to  assemble  in  the  Senate  chamber  the  evening  of 
January  22,  for  a  consultation  concerning  the  forthcom- 
ing Presidential  election.  The  authority  of  the  Ver- 
mont Senator  to  call  such  a  caucus  was  disputed  by 


16  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Monroe's  supporters,  and  only  Madison's  friends  and 
those  who  were  not  committed  to  any  candidate  attended. 
Senator  Bradley  was  elected  president  of  the  caucus  and 
Richard  M.  Johnson  was  chosen  secretary.  A  ballot  for 
Presidential  candidates  resulted  as  follows:  James 
Madison,  83 ;  George  Clinton,  3 ;  James  Monroe,  3.  For 
Vice  Presidential  candidates  the  following  votes  were 
cast :  George  Clinton,  79 ;  John  Langdon,  5 ;  Henry 
Dearborn,  3;  John  Ouincy  Adams,  1.  A  committee  of 
correspondence  and  arrangements  included  Senator 
Bradley  as  a  member.  About  sixty  Republican  members 
did  not  attend  the  caucus.  John  Randolph  and  a  group 
of  his  friends  published  a  protest  against  the  caucus 
and  the  candidate. 

Senator  Bradley  was  elected  President  Pro  Tem  of 
the  Senate  on  December  28,  1808.  He  was  a  man  of 
independent  views,  and  letters  to  his  son  show  that  he 
was  strongly  opposed  to  the  Embargo  policy  of  Presi- 
dent Jefferson.  The  State  election  of  1808  was  hotly 
contested.  The  Embargo  Act  and  certain  military 
orders  were  a  heavy  load  for  the  administration  to  carry 
and  there  was  considerable  dissatisfaction  concerning 
expenditures  for  the  State  Prison.  As  early  as  June, 
Secretary  Gallatin  wrote,  "I  think  that  Vermont  is  lost." 
Gov.  Israel  Smith  was  renominated  and  Ex-Governor 
Tichenor  was  the  candidate  of  the  Federalists,  who  had 
a  thorough  organization.  The  Republicans,  or  Jeffer- 
sonian  Democrats,  a  name  which  began  to  be  used  about 
this  time,  issued  an  address  defending  the  President's 
policy  of  non-intercourse  and  endorsed  the  party  candi- 
dates.     Isaac  Tichenor  was  elected  by  432  majority. 


KM1>AR(X)   ACT    AND   WAR   Ol'    1.S12       17 

The  majorities  for  Tichenor  were  large  in  Franklin  and 
Chittenden  counties,  where  there  was  much  dissatisfac- 
tion with  the  Embargo  Act. 

The  Federalists  also  elected  ten  of  twelve  members  of 
the  Council,  while  the  Republicans  reelected  Lieut.  Gov. 
Paul  Brigham  and  secured  a  majority  of  seventeen  in 
the  Assembly.  This  enabled  them  by  a  narrow  margin 
to  choose  Madison  electors,  as  follows :  Gov.  Israel 
Smith  of  Rutland,  Samuel  Shepardson  of  Guilford, 
Jonas  Galusha  of  Shaftsbury,  James  Tarbox  of  Ran- 
dolph, John  White  of  Georgia  and  William  Gaboon  of 
Lyndon.  Vermont's  electoral  vote  was  cast  for  James 
ALidison  for  President  and  Gov.  John  Langdon  of  New 
Hampshire  for  Vice  President.  Possibly  the  refusal  to 
vote  for  George  Clinton  of  New  York,  the  party  can- 
didate, may  have  been  due  to  Clinton's  old-time  hostility 
to  Vermont  previous  to  its  admission  to  the  Union.  Dr. 
Samuel  Shaw  (Rep.)  was  elected  a  Congressman  in  the 
Southwestern  district  and  Martin  Chittenden  (Fed.) 
was  reelected.  There  was  no  choice  in  the  Southeastern 
district,  where  the  Republican  vote  was  divided.  At  a 
special  election  Jonathan  H.  Hubbard  (Fed.)  was  elected 
by  fifteen  majority,  defeating  William  C.  Bradley,  then 
only  twenty-six  years  old,  and  a  son  of  Senator  Stephen 
Row  Bradley.  In  the  Northeastern  district,  and  at  a 
special  election,  Congressman  James  Fisk  was  defeated 
by  William  Chamberlain  (Fed.),  w^ho  had  served  a  term 
in  Congress  (1803-1805). 

Samuel  Shaw  w^as  born  at  Dighton,  Mass.,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1768,  and  came  to  Putney,  Vt.,  in  1778,  removing 
to  Castleton  in  1787.     He  studied  medicine  and  began 


18  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

the  practice  of  his  profession  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  be- 
coming an  eminent  surgeon.  He  was  active  in  his  de- 
nunciation of  the  Adams  administration  for  the  adop- 
tion of  the  Sedition  Act.  An  old  record  says  that  for 
this  denunciation  "he  was  imprisoned  and  Hberated  by 
the  people  without  the  forms  of  law."  From  1800  to 
1807  he  represented  Castleton  in  the  Legislature  and  in 
1807  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Council,  holding 
that  office  one  year.  He  served  in  Congress  until  1813. 
After  his  retirement  from  that  body  he  was  appointed 
a  Surgeon  in  the  United  States  army,  remaining  in  the 
service  until  1816.     He  died  at  Clarendon,  Vt.,  in  1827. 

Jonathan  H.  Hubbard  was  born  in  Windsor  in  1768, 
being  the  first  official  holding  one  of  the  higher  State 
offices,  who  was  a  native  of  Vermont.  He  studied  law, 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1790,  and  practiced  his  pro- 
fession until  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  where  he  served 
one  term.  He  was  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  from 
1813  to  1815.  He  died  at  Windsor,  September  20,  1849. 
In  1808  Jonathan  Robinson  was  reelected  United  States 
Senator  for  the  full  term  of  six  years,  although  Daniel 
Chipman  of  Middlebury  received  a  majority  of  the  votes 
of  the  Council.  There  was  great  Federalist  rejoicing 
over  the  election  of  Governor  Tichenor. 

In  1808  the  Legislature  met  at  Montpelier,  and  for 
the  first  time  in  its  history  the  State  Government  had  a 
permanent  location.  There  was  a  large  gathering  of 
people  to  witness  the  opening  of  the  legislative  session 
and  the  civil  and  military  ceremonies,  which  were  a 
feature  of  such  occasions.  There  was  so  much  objection 
to  the  presence  of  a  company  of  United  States  soldiers 


KMBAR(;0   ACT   AND   WAR   OF   1812       19 

in  the  State  House,  necessitating  the  exckision  of  the 
freemen  of  the  commonwealth,  particularly  some  who 
had  contributed  to  the  erection  of  the  edifice,  that  the 
troops  were  ordered  to  withdraw. 

A  military  organization  had  been  formed  at  Mont- 
pelier  known  as  the  Washington  Artillery,  which 
escorted  the  Governor  to  town,  at  the  opening  of  the 
legislative  session,  and  fired  salutes  when  the  Sherifif 
proclaimed  from  the  portico  of  the  State  House  the  elec- 
tion of  State  officials.  It  was  also  the  duty  of  the 
Sheriff,  bearing  a  sword,  to  escort  the  Governor  every 
day  from  his  boarding  house  to  the  Council  Chamber. 

In  his  inaugural  address  Governor  Tichenor,  while 
deploring  the  violation  of  the  Embargo  Act,  declared 
that  "we  sincerely  regret  that  the  law  was  not  accom- 
panied with  that  evidence  of  national  necessity  or  utility 
which  at  once  would  have  commanded  obedience  and  re- 
spect." He  hoped  for  an  early  repeal  of  the  law,  but 
if  this  course  should  not  be  followed  be  urged  "a  quiet 
submission  to  the  privations  and  inconveniences  that 
may  be  experienced  until  we  are  relieved  in  a  constitu- 
tional way." 

The  Republicans  had  a  majority  of  sixteen  in  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  and  the  reply  to  the  Governor's  speech 
was  framed  by  his  political  opponents.  While  it  recog- 
nized the  privations  resulting  from  the  Embargo  Act, 
it  expressed  "a  dignified  pleasure  that  this  (was)  the 
only  practicable  measure  that  could  have  averted  the 
dangers  and  horrors  of  war  with  one  or  more  of  the 
contending  nations  of  Europe."     Eighty-eight  Federal- 


20  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

ists,  headed  by  Nathaniel  Chipman,  dissented  from  the 
answer  preferred  by  the  majority  of  the  House. 

Dudley  Chase  of  Randolph  was  elected  Speaker. 
Several  manufacturing  companies  were  incorporated  and 
others  were  exempted  from  taxation.  The  grant  of  the 
township  of  Wheelock  to  the  trustees  of  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege and  the  president  of  Moor's  Charity  School  was 
confirmed,  and  an  act  directing  a  suit  to  test  the  validity 
of  the  charter  of  Wheelock,  was  repealed. 

A  proposal  emanating  from  the  Virginia  Legislature, 
permitting  the  removal  of  United  States  Senators  from 
office  by  the  vote  of  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of 
the  members  of  the  respective  State  Legislatures,  by 
which  they  had  been  or  might  be  elected,  was  rejected. 

A  resolution  was  adopted  requesting  the  Congres- 
sional delegation  of  the  State  to  apply  to  the  Secretary 
of  War  for  the  loan  of  twenty  pieces  of  artillery  for  the 
use  of  the  militia  of  Vermont.  Another  resolution 
adopted  during  the  session  of  1808  requested  the  Gov- 
ernor to  appeal  to  the  Governor  of  Lower  Canada  to 
obtain  legislative  aid  in  dispersing  or  punishing  a  band 
of  counterfeiters  which  infested  the  southern  part  of  the 
province  of  Quebec  and  preyed  upon  the  people  of  Ver- 
mont and  other  border  States. 

Early  in  the  year  1808  the  Supreme  Court  convicted 
four  persons  of  the  crime  of  counterfeiting.  Two  of 
these  men  were  sentenced  each  to  stand  in  the  pillory 
one  hour,  to  receive  thirty-nine  stripes  upon  the  bare 
back,  to  be  imprisoned  for  seven  years  at  hard  labor  and 
to  pay  a  fine  of  five  hundred  dollars  and  costs.  The 
others  were  given  less  drastic  punishment,  but  each  re- 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812       21 

ceived  "forty  stripes  save  one."  Statistics  from  six 
Vermont  counties  show  that  in  1808  there  were  sixty- 
one  indictments  for  counterfeiting  or  passing  counterfeit 
money.  During  the  summer  of  1809  Governor  Tichenor 
sent  a  letter  to  Sir  James  H.  Craig,  Governor  General 
of  Canada,  by  Capt.  Josiah  Dunham  of  Windsor,  editor 
of  The  IVasJiingtonian,  and  a  zealous  Federalist.  In 
his  letter  the  Vermont  Executive  called  attention  to  "the 
alarming  height  to  which  the  evil  complained  of  has 
arisen."  Governor  Craig  replied  in  a  cordial  and  sym- 
pathetic note  in  which  he  explained  that  new  and  more 
efifectual  laws  were  needed  to  root  out  the  evil  of  counter- 
feiting. The  Republicans  charged  that  Captain  Dun- 
ham's mission  was  political  and  in  defending  himself  he 
published  the  correspondence  in  his  newspaper,  assert- 
ing that  his  errand  was  successful  in  obtaining  from 
the  provincial  Parliament  the  legislation  desired. 

At  a  town  meeting  held  in  St.  Albans,  on  February  6, 
1809,  resolutions  were  adopted  strongly  condemning  the 
foreign  policy  of  the  Jefferson  administration.  Other 
town  meetings  were  held,  some  of  which  condemned, 
while  others  approved,  the  administration.  Political 
prejudices  were  strong  and  epithets  often  took  the  place 
of  arguments.  In  January  Governor  Tichenor  visited 
the  northern  part  of  the  State,  probably  to  investigate 
smuggling  on  the  border,  and  his  opponents  charged  him 
with  playing  politics. 

Early  in  1809,  Governor  Craig  of  Canada  sent  John 
Henry  into  New  England  on  a  tour  of  investigation. 
Henry  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  had  become  a 
naturalized  American  citizen.     He  had  lived  on  a  farm 


22  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

in  Vermont,  had  studied  law,  and  in  1808  had  edited  the 
Post  Boy  at  Windsor,  being  a  violent  opponent  of  Presi- 
dent Jefferson.  Late  in  the  year  1808  he  went  to 
Canada.  On  January  26,  1809,  Sir  James  Craig's  Sec- 
retary wrote  Henry  a  letter  marked  "most  secret  and 
confidential,"  suggesting  his  employment  on  a  confi- 
dential mission  to  Boston.  The  letter  indicates  that 
Henry  already  had  furnished  information  and  political 
observations,  which  had  been  transmitted  by  the  Gov- 
ernor General  to  the  British  Secretary  of  State.  Henry 
accepted  this  offer,  and  his  relations  with  the  Federal- 
ists had  been  such  that  he  could  readily  get  in  touch 
with  those  who  were  opposed  to  a  declaration  of  war 
against  Great  Britain.  In  his  instructions  Governor 
Craig  asked  his  agent  to  secure  accurate  information 
concerning  the  true  state  of  affairs  in  New  England. 
He  hinted  at  the  possibility  of  a  separation  of  the  East- 
ern States  from  the  Union  if  present  difficulties  con- 
tinued; and  he  desired  particularly  to  know  "how  far 
in  such  an  event  they  would  look  up  to  England  for 
assistance,  or  be  disposed  to  enter  into  a  connection  with 
us."  With  great  caution,  he  was  to  insinuate,  where 
intimacy  made  it  advisable,  that  if  communication  were 
desired  with  the  Governor  General  he  was  authorized  to 
receive  messages.  His  stay  in  Vermont  was  expected 
to  be  short,  but  he  was  instructed  to  procure  all  the  in- 
formation he  could  obtain.  Credentials  were  given  to 
Henry  to  use  in  the  event  that  they  were  needed,  and  a 
cipher  was  furnished  for  correspondence. 

Henry  stopped  at  Burlington  for  two  days  and  on 
February  14  sent  a  letter  to  Sir  James  Craig  from  that 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812       23 

place.  He  found  only  one  opinion  regarding  the 
Embargo  laws,  that  they  were  "unnecessary,  oppressive 
and  unconstitutional."  Governor  Tichenor  was  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  State  at  this  time  and  Henry  re- 
ported that  he  had  learned  that  the  Governor  of  Ver- 
mont might  refuse  obedience  to  any  command  from  the 
National  Government  that  would  tend  to  interrupt  the 
good  understanding  that  existed  between  Vermonters 
and  Canadians;  and  that  in  case  of  war  he  would  use 
his  influence  to  make  the  State  neutral,  and  resist  with 
all  the  force  he  could  command,  any  attempt  to  involve 
this  commonwealth  in  the  conflict.  "I  need  not  add," 
he  wrote,  *'that  if  these  resolutions  are  carried  into  effect, 
the  State  of  Vermont  may  be  considered  as  an  ally  of 
Great  Britain." 

There  is  no  evidence  to  justify  Henry's  statement. 
Governor  Tichenor  was  a  strong  Federalist  and  as  such 
was  opposed  to  the  Embargo  Act  and  to  the  general 
policy  of  the  administration,  but  he  was  not  disloyal. 
Josiah  Dunham,  a  political  associate,  in  a  public  state- 
ment certified  "that  so  far  from  having  ever  heard  Gov- 
ernor Tichenor  advance  any  sentiments  favorable  to  a 
dissolution  of  the  Union,  I  have  heard  him  declare  with 
some  warmth  that  the  man  who  should  seriously  advo- 
cate such  a  doctrine,  of  whatever  party  he  might  be, 
must  be  an  enemy  to  his  country."  This  declaration  is 
in  line  with  Governor  Tichenor's  public  addresses.  The 
Federalist  party,  by  its  course,  justified  serious  criticism 
before  and  during  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain, 
but  Governor  Tichenor  was  not  the  type  of  man  pictured 
in  John  Henry's  report. 


24  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

In  a  letter  written  from  Windsor,  February  19,  Henry- 
reported  after  consulting  Republicans  as  well  as  Federal- 
ists: ''The  people  in  the  eastern  section  of  Vermont 
are  not  operated  upon  by  the  same  hopes  and  fears  as 
those  on  the  borders  of  the  British  colony.  They  are 
not  dependent  on  Montreal  for  the  sale  of  their  produce, 
nor  the  supply  of  foreign  commodities.  They  are  not 
apprehensive  of  any  serious  dangers  or  inconvenience 
from  a  state  of  war;  and,  although  they  admit  that  the 
Governor,  Council  and  three- fourths  of  the  representa- 
tion in  Congress  are  of  the  Federal  party,  yet  they  do 
not  believe  that  the  State  would  stand  alone  and  resist 
the  National  Government."  Henry  failed  to  receive  any 
reward  from  Great  Britain  for  his  services,  and,  smart- 
ing under  what  he  considered  an  act  of  injustice,  he 
revealed  the  correspondence  to  President  Madison,  re- 
ceiving for  his  information  the  sum  of  fifty  thousand 
dollars. 

When  President  Madison  laid  the  John  Henry  corre- 
spondence before  Congress,  Mr.  Fisk  of  Vermont  par- 
ticipated in  the  debate  that  followed.  Alluding  to  the 
possibility  of  a  division  of  the  Union  he  said:  "I  am 
very  far  from  believing  it  was  ever  a  wish  of  a  great 
body  of  the  Federal  party,  or  that  they  would  knowingly 
join  the  enemies  of  their  countr}^  to  efifect  such  a  pur- 
pose, but  that  there  are  some  who  call  themselves  Fed- 
eralists, and  who  in  principle  and  feeling  are  Englishmen 
that  would  do  it,  I  have  no  doubt."  In  commenting  on 
the  debate  in  Congress,  Nilcs'  Register  remarked  that 
Mr.  Fisk's  speech  had  more  point  than  all  the  rest. 

Meetings  were  held  in  various  parts  of  the  State,  some 


HAIBARCO   ACT   AND   WAR  OF   1812      25 

in  favor  of  and  sonic  opposed  to  the  policies  of  the 
national  administration.  The  Republicans  of  Bennington 
county,  to  the  number  of  about  nine  hundred  assembled 
at  Manchester  on  March  1.  Col.  David  Fay  presided 
and  Orsamus  C.  Merrill  delivered  an  oration,  approving 
the  acts  of  Jefferson's  administration.  A  report  of  the 
meeting  says  that  "more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  of 
the  Old  Whigs  of  the  Revolution"  were  present. 
Among  the  resolutions  adopted  was  one  which  con- 
demned meetings  held  in  several  towns  of  Vermont  and 
Massachusetts,  "with  an  intent  to  overawe  the  consti- 
tuted authorities,  estrange  the  people  of  New  England 
from  the  government  of  their  choice  and  excite  rebellion, 
insurrection  and  civil  war,  (which)  are  further  evidences 
of  British  influence  in  our  country."  Another  resolu- 
tion declared  that  "we  hold  in  utter  detestation  and 
abhorrence  the  men  who  are  using  their  eft'orts  to  eft'ect 
a  separation  of  the  States." 

An  issue  of  the  Vermont  Gazette  at  this  time  said: 
"The  standard  of  rebellion  has  been  again  raised  in  Bur- 
lington, St.  Albans  and  Monkton.  Insurgent  resolves 
of  the  most  malignant  nature  were  passed.  His  Excel- 
lency attended  and  encouraged  these  mobs.  They  are  as 
weak  as  they  are  wicked."  While  these  utterances 
should  be  discounted  somewhat  on  account  of  the  intense 
partisanship  of  the  period,  they  are  not  without  histori- 
cal value. 

The  Federalists  renominated  Governor  Tichenor  in 
1809.  The  Republicans  did  not  again  place  Israel  Smith 
in  nomination,  as  ill  health  compelled  him  to  decline  the 
honor,  and  Jonas  Galusha  of  Shaftsbury  was  nominated 


26  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

as  the  strongest  candidate  the  party  could  present. 
Galusha  was  elected,  receiving  a  majority  of  618.  All 
the  Republican  candidates  for  the  Council  were  chosen 
and  that  party  elected  .a  majority  of  the  General 
Assembly. 

Jonas  Galusha  was  born  in  Norwich,  Conn.,  February 
11,  1753.  In  1769  the  family  removed  to  Salisbury, 
Conn.,  from  which  town  the  Aliens,  Chittendens,  Chip- 
mans,  and  other  prominent  families  emigrated  to  the 
New  Hampshire  Grants.  In  the  spring  of  1775  the 
Galushas  removed  to  this  new  country,  making  their 
home  at  Shaftsbury.  Jonas  Galusha  divided  his  time 
between  farming  and  operating  a  shop  for  the  manu- 
facture of  nails.  When  the  Revolutionary  War  began 
he  enlisted  in  a  company  of  Col.  Seth  Warner's  regi- 
ment, commanded  by  his  brother  David,  and  served  in 
the  Canadian  campaign  of  1775.  In  1777  he  com- 
manded a  company  of  militia  and  when  orders  came  from 
Col.  Moses  Robinson  to  march  to  Bennington,  he  arose 
from  bed,  having  been  ill  of  a  fever,  to  lead  his  men 
to  the  rendezvous.  He  participated  in  both  battles  at 
Bennington  and  had  a  narrow  escape  from  death  during 
the  artillery  fire.  In  October,  1778,  he  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Governor  Chittenden.  In  1781  he  was 
elected  Sheriff  of  Bennington  county  and  during  his  in- 
cumbency of  the  office  he  dispersed  a  party  of  malcon- 
tents who  had  been  engaged  in  Shays'  Rebellion.  In 
1792  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Council  of  Censors 
and  the  following  year  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the 
Governor's  Council,  holding  that  position  until  1798.  In 
1795  he  was  elected  an  Assistant  Judge  of  Bennington 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      27 

County  Court,  holding  that  office  for  several  years.  In 
1807  he  was  promoted  to  the  Supreme  Court,  and  was 
reelected  in  1808.  He  was  chosen  a  Presidential  Elector 
in  1808,  1820,  1824  and  1828.  In  1814  he  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  Constitutional  Convention.  He  was  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State  from  1809  to  1812  and  from  1815 
to  1819.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  good 
judgment,  with  a  gift  of  humor  and  a  capacity  for 
leadership.  He  was  not  a  brilliant  man,  and  he  lacked 
educational  opportunities,  but  he  was  neither  ignorant 
nor  lacking  in  good  manners.  In  some  of  his  charac- 
teristics he  resembled  his  father-in-law.  Governor  Chit- 
tenden. Governor  Galusha  was  one  of  the  forceful 
leaders  of  the  early  period  of  Vermont  history  and  nine 
elections  to  the  chief  magistracy  of  the  State,  the  great- 
est number  given  to  any  executive  save  Thomas  Chit- 
tenden and  Isaac  Tichenor,  indicate  his  popularity.  He 
died  September  25,  1834. 

The  Legislature  of  1809  organized  by  reelecting  Dud- 
ley Chase  of  Randolph  as  Speaker.  The  Washington 
Artillery,  acting  as  the  Governor's  Guard,  was  a  feature 
of  the  inauguration.  Organized  from  the  leading  citi- 
zens of  Montpelier  and  vicinity,  the  members  wore  Bona- 
parte hats,  and  the  uniform  of  field  officers,  the  epau- 
lettes being  omitted  from  the  shoulders  of  the  privates. 
The  Captain  was  Isaac  Putnam,  a  man  of  commanding 
stature,  nearly  six  feet,  six  inches  in  height. 

In  his  inaugural  speech  Governor  Galusha  deplored 
the  spirit  of  discord  and  disunion  cherished  by  "num- 
bers of  the  misguided  citizens  of  the  United  States"; 
and  he  expressed  the  hope  that  "the  period  is  not  far 


28  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

distant  when  the  citizens  of  the  Union  will  lay  aside  all 
party  feelings  and  become  united  like  a  band  of  brothers, 
in  support  of  the  best  government  on  earth."  Admit- 
ting that  he  had  been  opposed  to  the  establishment  of 
country  banks,  he  declared  his  belief  that  the  State  Bank 
had  saved  many  citizens  from  great  losses  and  some 
from  total  ruin,  as  otherwise  many  persons  would  "have 
been  possessed  of  large  sums  of  the  depreciated  paper 
of  the  failing  private  banks."  The  attention  of  the 
Legislature  was  called  to  the  two  most  important  inter- 
ests of  the  State,  agriculture  and  manufacturing. 

The  Legislature,  on  October  26,  1809,  by  a  vote  of 
118  to  71,  adopted  an  address  to  President  Madison, 
expressing  "peculiar  gratification  that  a  person  is  ad- 
vanced to  the  Presidential  chair  who  has  long  been  asso- 
ciated with  the  illustrious  Jefferson  and  his  copatriots." 
Reference  was  made  to  "a  disgraceful  spirit  of  opposi- 
tion and  insubordination  to  the  laws  of  the  General 
Government  (that)  has  been  excited  and  fomented  in 
some  parts  of  the  Union." 

The  national  grievances  were  rehearsed  in  part  as 
follows:  "Our  seamen,  not  only  in  the  common  high- 
way of  nations,  but  also  in  sight  of  our  own  shores 
*  *  *  have  been  impressed.  *  *  *  Our  terri- 
torial jurisdiction  has  been  violated,  the  hospitality  of 
our  ports  and  harbors  abused,  our  citizens  murdered 
while  in  the  peaceable  pursuit  of  domestic  concerns,  our 
national  flag  insulted,  (and)  the  blood  of  our  seamen 
wantonly  shed." 

The  address  found  in  these  injuries  and  aggressions 
certain  indirect  benefits,  because  they  had  awakened  a 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      29 

majority  of  the  American  people  "to  promote  the  estab- 
lishment of  domestic  manufactures  and  other  internal 
improvements."  In  summing  up  the  situation  the  ad- 
dress says :  "Surely  there  is  a  point  among  nations  as 
well  as  individuals  beyond  which  longer  forbearance 
would  become  criminal,  and  honorable  and  manly  resist- 
ance our  indispensable  duty;  and  we  view  the  freedom 
of  commerce  upon  the  ocean,  when  pursued  conformable 
to  the  established  law  of  nations;  the  restoration  of  our 
impressed  seamen,  exemption  and  security  against  fur- 
ther impressment,  among  those  rights  which  ought  not 
to  be  surrendered  but  with  our  national  existence. 
*  *  *  If  honorable  adjustments  cannot  be  made, 
however  reluctant  we  may  be  to  hazard  our  fortunes 
upon  the  warring  elements,  yet  rather  than  relinquish 
any  of  our  sacred  rights,  or  should  justice  be  longer  un- 
reasonably denied  us,  we  confidently  assure  you  that  we 
will  rally  round  the  standard  of  Government,  cheer- 
fully obey  the  first  call  of  our  country,  and  unite  with 
them  in  the  last  solemn  appeal  to  nations,  relying  and 
trusting  in  that  Almighty  Being  who  directs  and  con- 
trols the  destinies  of  the  world,  to  guide  us  to  a  favorable 
issue."  To  this  address  the  President  made  a  brief  and 
somewhat  guarded  reply. 

The  attempt  to  establish  the  silk  industry  in  Vermont 
is  shown  in  a  petition  from  inhabitants  of  Waitsfield, 
Duxbury  and  Moretown,  "praying  the  Legislature  to 
grant  them  assistance  in  raising  mulberry  trees." 

A  proposal  emanating  from  the  Virginia  Legislature, 
permitting  the  removal  of  United  States  Senators  by  the 


30  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

vote  of  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  the  members 
of  the  respective  State  Legislatures  by  which  they  had 
been  or  might  be  elected,  was  rejected  by  the  General 
Assembly.  A  proposal  of  the  Massachusetts  Legisla- 
ture to  amend  the  Federal  Constitution  by  limiting  its 
powers  to  lay  an  embargo  or  to  suspend  commerce  for 
more  than  thirty  days  from  the  beginning  of  the  session 
of  Congress  following  the  one  in  which  such  law  was 
enacted,  was  not  adopted.  The  same  fate  befell  a  pro- 
posal from  Pennsylvania  to  establish  an  impartial 
tribunal  to  determine  disputes  between  States  and  the 
National  Government. 

The  Embargo  Act  forced  Americans  in  self  defence 
to  promote  domestic  manufactures.  In  1807  a  resolu- 
tion introduced  by  Charles  Rich  of  Shoreham  recom- 
mended to  the  Governor,  Council  and  members  of  the 
Assembly  that  they  appear  at  the  next  session  clothed 
in  manufactures  of  Vermont  or  some  other  of  the  States 
of  the  American  Union.  In  1809  Congress  had  directed 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  prepare  a  plan  for  pro- 
moting and  fostering  domestic  manufacturing  and  a 
resolution  was  adopted  by  the  Vermont  Legislature,  on 
motion  of  Mr.  Rich  of  Shoreham,  appointing  a  com- 
mittee of  one  from  each  county  to  prepare  a  statement 
of  the  manufactures  of  the  State.  The  report  of  this 
committee,  given  herewith,  furnishes  an  official  state- 
ment of  the  industrial  activities  of  Vermont,  particularly 
in  household  manufactures,  only  furnaces  and  forges 
being  excluded  from  that  list. 


Ruins  of  Fort  Cassiii,  ^Nlouth  of  Otter  Creek 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812       31 


Counties  ^   zt  ^  t  ^  -   2    -S  1         §  2 

o  ^  !>  ^  --  o.  ^  o  ;g      fe.       fe. 

Addison    127,666  107,200  15  13        2        15 

Bennington 84,100  62,900  11  9         1           3 

Caledonia   135,000  110,000  12  10 

Chittenden    128,000  110,000  8  8 

Essex  and 

Grand  Isle 28,960  27,860  3  3 

Franklin   32,600  40,400  7  10        2          2 

Orange   177,000  177,000  19  19 

Orleans 33,000  30,000  4  4 

Rutland    170,200  143,040  26  18        3          6 

Windham   120,000  100,000  24  16 

Windsor  269,090  134,045  34  25 

1,315,550  1.042,945  163  135  8  26 
The  committee  expressed  the  belief  that  the  bar  iron 
and  hollow  ware  annually  produced  was  more  than 
enough  to  supply  the  inhabitants  of  the  State.  The  seven 
Vermont  paper  mills  exported  much  of  their  product. 
There  were  at  that  time  four  mills  manufacturing  cotton 
and  woolen  goods.  The  copperas  mine  at  Strafiford 
seemed  likely  to  yield  a  large  supply  of  copperas  and 
vitriols.  Allusion  was  made  to  the  marble  factory  at 
Middlebury,  a  furnace  and  forge  at  Vergennes,  owned 
by  a  Boston  company,  and  two  slitting  mills,  one  at  Ver- 
gennes and  the  other  at  Fair  Haven.  This  statement 
made  no  mention  of  pot  and  pearl  ashes,  timber  and  lum- 
ber, which  were  exported  in  large  quantities. 

According  to  Thomas'  "History  of  Printing,"  four- 
teen newspapers  w^ere  published  in  Vermont  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year  1810. 


32  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Governor  Galusha  was  reelected  in  1810  over  his 
predecessor,  Ex-Governor  Tichenor,  by  a  majority  of 
3,537,  the  vote  being,  Galusha  13,810,  Tichenor,  9,912; 
scattering,  361.  A  Republican  Council  was  chosen  and 
the  same  party  controlled  the  General  Assembly  by  a 
majority  of  75.  Samuel  Shaw  (Republican)  and  Mar- 
tin Chittenden  (Federalist)  were  reelected  to  Congress. 
James  Fisk  (Republican)  of  Barre,  who  had  served  in 
Congress  from  1805  to  1809,  was  elected  again  to  repre- 
sent his  Congressional  District  and  one  new  member, 
William  Strong  (Republican),  of  Hartford  was  chosen. 
William  Strong  was  born  at  Lebanon,  Conn.,  in  1763. 
He  had  made  land  surveys  in  Grand  Isle  county  and 
engaged  in  farming  at  Hartford.  He  represented  that 
town  in  the  Legislature  in  1798-99,  1801-02,  and  1815- 
18.  He  was  Sheriff  of  Windsor  county  from  1802  to 
1810,  and  Assistant  Judge  in  1816.  He  served  in  Con- 
gress from  1811  until  1815  and  again  from  1819  until 
1821.     He  died  January  28,  1840. 

When  the  Legislature  assembled  Dudley  Chase  was 
reelected  Speaker.  In  his  inaugural  address  Governor 
Galusha  referred  to  the  unhappy  condition  of  Europe, 
driven  into  the  vortex  of  war,  and  alluded  to  the  wisdom 
of  the  measures  adopted  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment to  preserve  neutrality,  adding,  "We  have  to  regret 
that  for  the  want  of  unanimity  among  ourselves,  they, 
in  some  measure,  have  failed  of  their  desired  effect." 
In  his  opinion,  with  "every  American  heart  barred 
against  foreign  influence  and  suitably  attached  to  the 
Government  and  interest  of  his  own  country,  we  might 
put  the  powers  of  Europe  at  defiance.     We  have  the 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      33 

means  of  wealth  within  our  own  territory;  and  were  we 
to  turn  our  attention  to  our  internal  resources  and  foster 
our  infant  manufactures,  the  belHgerent  nations  of 
Europe  would  soon  seek  our  friendship,  court  our  trade, 
and  render  just  retribution  for  the  injuries  they  have 
done  us."  He  hoped  that  the  citizens  of  this  country 
soon  would  be  able  not  only  to  manufacture  their  own 
clothing  but  to  export  cotton  and  w-oolen  goods,  and  thus 
restore  "that  portion  of  specie  which  has  been  drawn 
from  us  by  the  exclusive  use  of  foreign  manufactured 
goods." 

During  this  session  of  the  Legislature  a  new  county 
was  organized,  and  the  name  given  to  it,  Jefferson,  re- 
flected the  political  trend  of  this  particular  period.  The 
following  towns  w^re  included:  Duxbury,  Fayston, 
Middlesex,  Moretown,  Stowe,  Waitsfield,  Waterbury 
and  Worcester,  from  Chittenden  county ;  Calais,  Marsh- 
field,  Montpelier  and  Plainfield,  from  Caledonia  county; 
and  Barre,  Berlin  and  Northfield,  from  Orange  county. 
When  the  bill  organizing  the  county  was  presented  to  the 
Council  it  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  seven  to  six,  objec- 
tion being  made  to  the  expense  of  erecting  county  build- 
ings. The  bill  having  been  returned  to  the  House,  it 
was  revised  by  adding  a  provision  that  if  a  committee 
appointed  for  the  purpose  should  be  able  to  secure  the 
erection  of  a  jail,  jailer's  house,  and  a  convenient  place 
for  the  holding  of  sessions  of  court,  without  public  ex- 
pense, the  new  county  should  be  established.  The  bill 
thus  amended,  passed  the  Council  by  a  vote  of  eight  to 
five,  and  became  a  law\  The  representatives  of  all  the 
tow^ns  which  composed  the  county  had  asked  that  the 


34  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

name  should  be  Washington.  The  name  Jefiferson  was 
inserted  in  the  House  bill,  and  an  attempt  to  change  it 
in  the  Council  was  defeated.  In  1814  the  name  was 
changed  to  Washington,  the  Federalists  having  a 
majority  in  the  Legislature  at  that  time. 

The  Runaway  Pond  incident  occurred  during  1810. 
On  June  26,  about  sixty  men  were  engaged  in  the  task 
of  diverting  the  waters  of  Long  Pond  in  Glover  into 
a  smaller  pond  below.  It  developed  that  the  northern 
shore  of  the  pond  was  quicksand  covered  with  only  a 
thin  coating  of  clay  and  almost  as  soon  as  the  men  began 
to  dig  into  this  shore,  the  earth  barrier  gave  way  and 
the  water  went  out  with  a  rush,  so  that  in  fifteen  minutes 
the  bed  of  the  pond  was  bare.  A  torrent  of  water  sixty 
feet  high  and  twenty  rods  wide  swept  through  the  chan- 
nel of  the  Barton  River,  over  the  meadows  in  the  valley, 
leveling  hills,  filling  valleys,  destroying  forests,  moving 
huge  boulders  and  carrying  with  it  mills,  houses,  barns, 
fences,  cattle,  horses  and  sheep.  The  people  who  lived 
in  the  pathway  of  this  torrent  barely  escaped  with  their 
lives  to  the  hills.  In  about  six  hours  all  the  waters  of 
Long  Pond  had  reached  Lake  Memphremagog,  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-seven  miles.  The  channel  through 
which  the  waters  escaped  is  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  feet  deep  and  several  rods  wide.  A  highway  now 
runs  through  the  bed  of  the  old  pond. 

The  Green  Mountain  Farmer,  successor  to  the  Ver- 
mont Gazette,  published  at  Bennington  by  William  Has- 
well,  in  an  account  of  a  trip  taken  by  the  editor  through 
the  State  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  postal  routes, 
printed  in  its  issue  of  April  8.  1811,  gives  a  descrip- 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      35 

tion  of  the  state  of  public  opinion  as  the  editor 
found  it  in  Vermont.  Some  persons  desired  bold  and 
hostile  measures  to  secure  national  rights,  while  others 
favored  calmness  and  submission.  He  asserted  that 
three-fifths  of  the  people  were  firm  supporters  of  the 
Democratic  (Republican)  administration,  *'yet  the 
bench,  the  bar,  the  public  seminary  and  the  sacred  desk 
exhibits  a  different  aspect;  four-sevenths  if  not  five- 
eighths  of  our  vehicles  of  public  information  are  de- 
cidedly and  virulently  engaged  in  calumniating  our 
cause  and  our  government,  and  thrive  beyond  those  of 
a  different  political  character."  This  was  the  opinion 
of  a  zealous  supporter  of  the  administration,  but  it  indi- 
cates in  a  general  way  the  line  of  political  cleavage 
shown  generally  in  New  England  at  this  time. 

There  was  no  political  overturn  in  1811.  Governor 
Galusha  was  reelected,  defeating  Congressman  Martin 
Chittenden  by  a  majority  of  2,056.  Ex-Governor 
Tichenor  was  nominated  but  declined  to  accept  and  sug- 
gested Mr.  Chittenden.  Chittenden's  vote  in  Benning- 
ton county  was  only  198,  while  Galusha  had  1,249,  but 
he  carried  Franklin,  Grand  Isle,  Chittenden  and  Wind- 
ham counties.  A  Republican  Council  was  elected,  and 
the  same  party  had  a  majority  of  about  fifty  in  the 
Assembly.  Dudley  Chase  was  elected  Speaker  for  the 
fourth  consecutive  time.  In  his  speech  accepting  reelec- 
tion. Governor  Galusha  declared  that  it  was  not  his  in- 
tention to  advance  any  opinion  on  the  subject  of  peace 
or  war,  although  he  prayed  for  "an  amicable  settlement 
of  all  our  difficulties";  but  with  characteristic  prudence 
he  urged  that  the  State  should  "be  prepared  for  any 


36  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

event  which  may  occur."  He  advocated  more  than  ordi- 
nary attention  to  the  militia  in  the  "present  unsettled 
state  of  our  national  affairs,"  and  considered  it  highly 
expedient  that  a  suitable  supply  of  arms  should  be  pro- 
vided for  the  use  of  the  militia  "in  cases  of  urgency," 
either  by  the  State  or  the  National  Government.  The 
Governor  protested  against  the  criticisms  of  President 
Madison's  administration  and  deplored  "the  continual 
charge  of  partiality  and  French  influence." 

A  constitutional  amendment,  proposed  by  Congress, 
was  transmitted  to  the  Legislature,  providing  that  if 
any  citizen  of  the  United  States  should  receive  and  retain 
any  title  of  nobility  or  honor,  or,  without  the  consent  of 
Congress,  should  accept  any  "present,  pension,  office  or 
emolument  whatever  from  any  Emperor,  King,  Prince, 
or  foreign  power,"  he  should  cease  to  be  a  citizen  of  this 
country  and  should  be  incapable  of  holding  any  office 
of  profit  or  trust  in  State  or  Nation.  This  amendment 
was  ratified  without  opposition.  A  communication  was 
received  from  Gouverneur  Morris,  DeWitt  Clinton, 
Robert  R.  Livingston,  Robert  Fulton  and  other  members 
of  a  New  York  commission  relating  to  the  construction 
of  water  comunication  from  the  Great  Lakes  to  the 
Atlantic  Ocean.  A  resolution  was  adopted  recognizing 
the  great  importance  of  the  subject,  but  postponing  con- 
sideration until  the  next  session,  when  more  definite  in- 
formation could  be  obtained. 

During  the  latter  part  of  July,  ISH,  Vermont  was 
visited  by  what  was  described  as  the  most  destructive 
freshet  ever  known.  All  the  crops  of  grain  and  grass 
on  the  lower  Otter  Creek  meadows,  never  more  promis- 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812       37 

ing,  were  swept  away  or  buried  under  the  flood  deposits. 
At  Sutherland  Falls,  now  Proctor,  the  forges  and  mills 
were  swept  away.  At  Middletown,  now  Middletown 
Springs,  eleven  buildings,  including  the  mills,  were  car- 
ried down  stream.  Major  Todd's  woolen  factory  at 
Poultney,  with  its  contents,  including  four  thousand 
pounds  of  wool,  was  destroyed  and  two  persons  were 
drowned.  The  iron  works,  including  forges,  trip  ham- 
mers, slitting  mills,  plating  mills,  etc.,  established  at 
Fair  Haven  by  Col.  Matthew  Lyon,  were  carried  away. 
A  large,  two-story  house  at  Clarendon  was  overturned 
and  four  other  houses  were  swept  away.  On  the  east 
side  of  the  State  much  damage  was  done.  Most  of  the 
mills  and  bridges  on  the  Ottaquechee  River  and  many  on 
the  White  River  were  carried  away.  Roads  were  made 
impassable  from  Windsor  to  Middlebury  and  elsewhere, 
and  six  miles  of  a  turnpike  from  Stockbridge  to  Rutland 
were  damaged  beyond  repair. 

When  Congress  began  its  session  late  in  1811,  ]\Ir. 
Chittenden  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Committee 
on  Post  Oflices  and  Post  Roads;  Mr.  Shaw^,  on  Claims; 
Mr.  Fisk,  on  Naval  Force. 

On  February  6,  1812,  Mr.  Quincy  of  Massachusetts 
presented  a  memorial  from  the  Vermont  Mineral  Fac- 
tory Company,  setting  forth  the  fact  that  the  petitioners 
had  established  a  manufactory  of  copperas,  which  it  was 
believed  would  supply  the  needs  of  the  United  States; 
and  praying  that  such  a  rate  of  duty  might  be  laid  upon 
imported  copperas  as  seemed  expedient  to  Congress. 


38  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

Disturbances  continued  in  the  enforcement  of  the 
revenue  law  and  late  in  the  year  1811,  a  man  was  shot 
and  killed  by  an  officer  at  Windmill  Bay  in  Alburg. 

The  opening  months  of  1812  found  the  United  States 
drifting  into  war.  There  was  no  general  uprising  of 
the  people  in  favor  of  hostilities.  President  Madison 
himself  was  believed  to  be  opposed  to  such  a  policy. 
Speaker  Henry  Clay  and  some  of  his  associates,  who 
were  called  "war  hawks,"  were  determined  to  fight 
Great  Britain.  The  impressment  of  American  seamen 
naturally  had  aroused  great  resentment.  "But  it  had 
been  thrown  into  the  background,"  says  Woodrow  Wil- 
son, writing  of  this  period  of  American  history,  who 
adds :  "Mr.  Jefferson  had  let  it  go  almost  without  pro- 
test since  his  commissioners  had  failed  to  induce  Eng- 
land to  abandon  it.  It  was  now  clearly  an  afterthought 
as  a  ground  for  war.  There  was  no  excitement  in  the 
country;  only  a  vague  irritation  and  fretfulness." 
After  describing  the  enactment  of  an  embargo  act 
preparatory  to  war,  Wilson  continues:  "It  was  a  fool- 
hardy and  reckless  risk  the  Congress  was  taking. 
*  *  *  It  was  certainly  no  time  for  battle.  The 
party  in  power  had  relied  on  embargoes  and  non-inter- 
course and  had  disbanded  the  army.  The  revenues  of 
the  government  were  scarcely  more  than  sufficient  for  its 
meagre  peace  establishment.  The  very  Congress  which 
voted  the  war  refused  to  provide  the  taxes  which  Mr. 
Gallatin  told  them  would  be  necessary  to  carry  it  on." 

Having  come  almost  to  the  brink  of  war,  Congress 
hesitated  to  take  the  final  step.  The  Senate  voted  to 
take  a  recess  from  April  29  to  June  8,  and  it  was  with 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      39 

difficulty  that  the  House  was  prevented  from  concurring 
in  this  policy  of  delay.  Senator  Stephen  R.  Bradley  was 
a  man  of  strong  convictions  and  at  times  he  refused  to 
follow  his  party  leaders.  He  had  opposed  Jefferson's 
attitude  of  hostility  toward  certain  Federal  Judges  and 
now  he  was  greatly  displeased  with  Madison's  adminis- 
tration, as  his  correspondence  shows.  In  a  speech  on 
the  proposed  recess,  delivered  in  the  Senate  on  April  25, 
1812,  he  said:  "If  wt  are  going  to  war  to  redress 
grievances,  to  revenge  injuries  received,  we  should 
choose  our  own  time.  If  we  begin  war  before  we  have 
an  army,  it  is  bringing  the  Nation  to  the  last  stage  of 
degradation  not  to  consider  at  all  the  sufferings  and 
losses  which  would  be  in  such  cases  sustained.  It 
would  be  a  great  error  to  put  this  country,  by  a  forced 
vote  of  Congress,  into  war.  You  cannot  lead  this  coun- 
try to  war  as  the  butcher  leads  his  flock  to  the  slaughter 
house.  This  is  a  government  of  opinion;  the  public  sen- 
timent will  not  be  driven,  but  must  be  followed.  Con- 
gress have  certainly  done  as  much  for  the  present  as  they 
can.  I  wish  to  see  the  effect  of  the  measures  they  have 
taken.  The  Executive  is  clothed  with  all  the  necessary 
powers  to  make  preparation  for  war;  and  if  the  Nation 
will  not  abide  by  us  and  support  the  measures  of  Con- 
gress, it  is  vain  to  say  we  can  force  the  people  into  a 
war."  It  must  be  remembered  that  this  speech  was 
made  by  one  of  the  veteran  administration  leaders  in 
the  Senate,  not  by  a  Federalist.  Such  an  utterance  may 
help  to  explain  the  bitter  hostility  to  the  w^ar  that  existed, 
particularly  in  New  England,  and  history  shows  that 


40  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

the  Vermont  Senator  was  right  in  protesting  against 
declaring  war  without  making  ready  for  a  conflict. 

In  February,  1812,  the  supporters  of  the  Madison  ad- 
ministration were  of  the  opinion  that  a  war  demonstra- 
tion should  be  made  at  the  State  capital,  and  called  a 
meeting  at  the  State  House.  A  great  number  of  citizens 
flocked  in  from  the  surrounding  towns  and  the  legisla- 
tive hall  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity.  Rev.  Chester 
Wright  having  declined  to  open  the  meeting  with  prayer, 
Rev.  Ziba  Woodworth,  a  militant  clergyman  and  an 
ardent  Republican,  was  called  upon,  and  oifered  an  in- 
vocation in  which  he  is  said  to  have  informed  the 
Almighty  of  a  number  of  things  not  at  all  to  the  credit 
of  the  opposition  party.  For  a  time  the  Federalists  con- 
trolled the  meeting,  but  later  their  opponents  arrived  in 
numbers  sufficient  to  enable  the  administration  support- 
ers to  adopt  resolutions  to  their  liking. 

On  June  4,  1812,  the  House  voted  to  declare  war. 
Three  Vermont  Congressmen,  Fisk,  Shaw  and  Strong, 
supported  the  measure,  while  Martin  Chittenden  voted 
against  it.  The  bill  passed  the  Senate  on  June  18.  Sen- 
ator Robinson  of  Vermont  voted  for  the  bill,  but  Senator 
Bradley  is  not  recorded  as  voting.  An  analysis  of  the 
vote  shows  that  most  of  the  Eastern  and  Middle  States 
were  opposed  to  war,  while  the  Southern  and  Western 
States  favored  it.  On  June  22,  Congressman  Chitten- 
den presented  a  petition  signed  by  about  two  thousand 
persons,  remonstrating  against  war  and  the  restrictions 
established.  It  is  said  that  he  had  previously  presented 
other  petitions  of  a  similar  nature  signed  by  several 
thousand  Vermonters. 


EiMI5AR(;o   ACT   AND   WAR  OF    1812      41 

There  were  many  Vermonters  who  knew  that  war  was 
stern  business.  Canada  was  the  natural  base  for  Eng- 
lish operations,  and  the  main  highway  from  the  province 
into  this  country  was  by  way  of  the  Champlain  valley. 
When  the  American  Revolution  was  fought,  northern 
Vermont  was  an  unsettled  wilderness.  Now  it  was  a 
settled  region  of  farms  and  villages.  No  other  State 
had  more  to  fear  from  invasion,  perhaps  none  so  much. 
When  war  was  declared  a  county  convention  held  at 
Williston  adopted  resolutions  denouncing  the  adminis- 
tration. 

A  special  session  of  the  Governor  and  Council  was 
called  at  Montpelier,  July  23,  1812,  as  a  result  of  press- 
ing calls  for  aid  from  almost  every  town  on  the  northern 
border.  A  committee  consisting  of  Lieut.  Gov.  Paul 
Brigham,  Horatio  Seymour  and  Samuel  C.  Crafts  was 
appointed  to  draft  a  memorial  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 
This  document  sets  forth  so  clearly  Vermont's  condi- 
tion at  the  outbreak  of  war  that  a  portion  of  it  is  given 
herewith:  ''The  Council  of  said  State  of  Vermont, 
taking  into  consideration  the  existing  war  between  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain  and  considering  that  the 
State  of  Vermont  is  a  frontier  State  bordering  on  the 
British  province  of  Lower  Canada,  having  a  frontier  of 
about  ninety  miles,  exposed  to  the  inroads  and  depreda- 
tions of  the  enemy,  are  deeply  impressed  with  the 
exposed  and  defenceless  situation  of  our  new  settlements 
on  and  near  Canada  line.  The  great  exertion  making  in 
the  province  of  Canada  to  organize  an  efficient  military 
force  has  called  the  attention  of  the  Council  to  the  situa- 
tion of  our  own  State  and  induced  a  critical  examination 


42  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

of  our  means  of  defence.  *  *  *  -^^  f^^^  ^^^^  ^^^ 
militia  of  this  State,  especially  the  northern  and  more 
exposed  part  of  it,  is  extremely  deficient  in  arms.  That 
to  arm  the  militia,  in  addition  to  the  arms  we  now  have, 
ten  thousand  stands  would  be  needed.  In  the  northern 
counties  we  find  it  almost,  if  not  wholly,  impracticable 
for  even  the  small  number  of  troops  detached  for  the 
United  States  service  to  furnish  themselves  with  arms. 
The  State  has  none,  and  arms  in  any  quantity  are  no- 
where to  be  purchased.  With  these  views  of  our  situa- 
tion, the  Council  deem  it  highly  necessary  that  the  desti- 
tute situation  of  this  frontier  be  immediately  made 
known  to  the  Executive  of  the  General  Government. 
*  *  *  It  will  further  be  considered  that  this  State 
will  probably  have  its  full  share  of  the  burthen  of  the 
war  by  its  being,  from  its  frontier  situation,  exposed  to 
constant  alarms  and  possibly  to  the  necessity  of  calling 
out  the  whole  body  of  the  militia  for  its  own  defence,  as 
well  as  for  the  benefit  of  the  common  cause,  and  if  fur- 
nished with  arms  by  the  General  Government,  still  bear 
their  proportion  of  the  expenses  of  prosecuting  and  sup- 
porting the  cause  of  the  Union."  The  resolutions  pre- 
sented were  adopted. 

It  was  announced  that  there  had  been  delivered  at  Ben- 
nington one  thousand  stands  of  arms  provided  under  an 
act  of  1808,  and  a  resolution  was  adopted  advising  the 
Governor  to  distribute  them  as  follows:  To  Major 
General  Gaboon,  one  hundred  and  fifty  stands;  to  Briga- 
dier General  Mattocks,  one  hundred  and  fifty  stands:  to 
Brigadier  General  Fassett,  one  hundred  stands:  to  Brig- 
adier   General    Newell,    one    hundred    stands.      These 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      43 

weapons  were  to  be  distributed  where  they  would  afiford 
the  greatest  protection  to  the  frontier,  and  were  to  be 
given  "only  to  such  men  as  are  actually  engaged  in  the 
defence  of  the  State,  and  who  are  unable  to  arm  them- 
selves." The  Governor  was  recjuested  to  ask  General 
Dearborn  to  order  two  or  three  companies  of  the  de- 
tached militia  of  the  State  to  be  stationed  on  or  near 
the  line  in  the  counties  of  Orleans  and  Essex.  Soon 
after  war  was  declared  small  companies  of  volunteers 
were  stationed  at  Troy,  Derby  and  Canaan,  and  were 
supported  by  towns  in  Caledonia,  Essex  and  Orleans 
counties. 

Governor  Galusha  left  Burlington  July  31,  1812,  to 
visit  the  troops  on  the  frontier.  The  next  day  he  entered 
their  encampments,  and  after  reviewing  the  soldiers  he 
made  a  patriotic  speech. 

Before  war  was  actually  declared.  Col.  Isaac  Clark 
of  the  Eleventh  U.  S.  Infantry,  a  son-in-law  of  Governor 
Chittenden,  a  veteran  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
familiarly  known  as  "Old  Rifle,"  was  sent  to  Burlington, 
where  he  purchased  for  the  Government  two  five-acre 
lots  on  a  blufif  overlooking  Lake  Champlain,  now 
including  the  site  of  Battery  Park.  Little  more  was 
done  during  the  summer  but  in  the  fall  the  Ninth, 
Eleventh,  Twenty-first  and  Twenty-fifth  Infantry 
arrived  at  Burlington  and  went  into  winter  quarters, 
under  command  of  Brig.  Gen.  John  Chandler. 

Early  in  January,  1809,  Lieut.  Melancton  Woolsey 
w-as  ordered  to  build  two  gunboats  on  Lake  Champlain. 
When  war  was  declared  these  boats  were  at  Basin  Har- 
bor, one  being  partly  sunk,  wath  seams  open  almost  wide 


44  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

enough  to  admit  a  man's  hand.  Lieut.  Sidney  Smith 
was  in  command  of  these  craft  and  General  Dearborn 
had  under  his  control  six  transports,  the  command  of 
which  he  relinquished  to  the  naval  authorities  with  some 
reluctance.  A  sloop  called  the  Rising  Sun  was  pur- 
chased later  and  rechristened  the  Prehle.  A  steamboat 
also  was  bought  and  named  the  Ticonderoga,  but  her 
engines  did  not  work  in  a  satisfactory  manner  and  she 
was  refitted  as  a  schooner.  On  September  12,  1812, 
Lieut.  Thomas  Macdonough,  then  only  twenty-eight 
years  old,  who  had  won  distinction  under  DecatUr,  was 
ordered  from  Portland,  Me.,  to  Burlington  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  American  fleet  on  Lake  Champlain.  Start- 
ing on  horseback,  his  only  attendant  being  a  country 
lad  who  returned  with  the  horse,  he  arrived  in  Burling- 
ton after  a  four  days'  journey,  and  assumed  command 
of  naval  afifairs. 

On  August  12,  1812,  the  United  States  Marshal  issued 
an  order  directing  all  British  subjects  in  Vermont  to 
report  to  him  forthwith. 

After  the  adjournment  of  Circuit  Court  at  Windsor, 
May  4,  1812,  Ex-Senator  Nathaniel  Chipman  asked  the 
Federalists  to  remain,  and  a  State  ticket  was  nominated, 
headed  by  Martin  Chittenden.  The  hardships  of  the 
Embargo  Act  were  set  forth  and  the  statement  was  made 
that  "the  undersigned  have  not  yet  been  able  to  see 
the  necessity  of  war."  Hope  was  expressed  that  fur- 
ther endeavors  would  be  made  to  procure  a  settlement 
of  national  disputes  by  negotiation. 

The  candidates  for  Governor  in  1812  were  the  same 
as  in  the  previous  year,  and  Governor  Galusha  was 
elected  over  Martin  Chittenden,  the  vote  being,  Galusha, 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      45 

19,158;  Chittenden,  15,950;  scattering,  644.  A  Republi- 
can Council  and  Legislature  were  chosen.  The  number 
of  Congressmen  had  been  increased  to  six  and  a  solid 
Republican  delegation  was  chosen  by  majorities  varying 
from  250  to  400.  James  Fisk  of  Barre  and  William 
Strong  of  Hartford  were  reelected  and  the  former  was 
appointed  a  member  of  the  Ways  and  Means  Committee. 
The  new  members  were  William  C.  Bradley  of  West- 
minster, Ezra  Butler  of  Waterbury,  Richard  Skinner  of 
Manchester  and  Charles  Rich  of  Shoreham. 

William  Czar  Bradley,  son  of  Senator  Stephen  Row^ 
Bradley,  was  born  at  Westminster,  March  23,  1782. 
William  was  a  precocious  child,  and  was  ready  to  enter 
college  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years.  He  entered  Yale 
College  but  did  not  complete  his  course,  being  expelled 
for  some  mischief  of  which  it  is  said  he  was  not  guilty. 
At  seventeen  he  delivered  a  Fourth  of  July  oration.  He 
studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years.  He  represented  Westminster  in  the 
Legislature  in  1806-07,  in  1819,  and  many  years  later, 
in  1852.  His  first  election  was  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four.  He  was  State's  Attorney  of  Windham  county 
from  1804  to  1812,  and  a  member  of  the  Council  in  1812. 
He  was  a  member  of  Congress  from  1813  to  1815,  being 
elected  at  the  age  of  thirty  years,  and  again  from  1823 
to  1827.  He  was  an  agent  for  the  United  States  in 
settling  the  dispute  involving  the  boundary  between  this 
country  and  Canada.  Several  times  he  was  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  Governor,  but  in  1856  he  left  that 
party  on  the  anti-slavery  issue  and  as  one  of  the  first 
of  the  Presidential  Electors  of  the  Republican  party  in 


46  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Vermont,  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont  for  President. 
He  was  a  handsome  man,  courtly  in  manner,  with  a 
ready  wit  and  a  great  fund  of  information.  He  has 
been  called  one  of  the  most  brilliant  men  Vermont  ever 
produced.  He  was  very  popular  with  his  Congres- 
sional associates.  Daniel  Webster  and  Henry  Clay 
sought  his  society  and  he  was  a  friend  of  Calhoun, 
Adams,  Benton  and  Cass.  Like  other  able  Vermonters, 
who  might  be  mentioned,  his  political  affiliations  de- 
barred him  from  longer  public  service.  He  died  March 
2,  1867. 

Ezra  Butler  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Mass.,  September 
24,  1763.  He  removed  first  to  Weathersfield,  Vt.,  and 
thence  to  Waterbury,  being,  it  is  said,  the  second  settler 
in  that  township.  He  represented  the  town  in  the  Legis- 
lature from  1794  to  1797,  from  1799  to  1804  and  was 
elected  in  1807  but  resigned  to  become  a  member  of  the 
Council.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Council  from  1809 
to  1812,  and  after  a  term  in  Congress,  served  contin- 
uously in  the  Council  from  1815  to  1825.  In  1826  and 
again  in  1827  he  was  elected  Governor.  He  was 
Assistant  Judge  of  the  County  Court  for  twenty  years, 
was  a  member  of  the  Council  of  Censors  in  1806,  a  dele- 
gate to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1822,  and  a 
Presidential  Elector  in  1820,  1828  and  1832.  He  was 
ordained  a  Baptist  preacher  about  1800,  and  continued 
in  that  capacity  until  his  death,  July  12,  1838. 

Richard  Skinner  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  May 
30,  1778.  He  was  educated  at  the  law  school  in  that 
town  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1800.  He  came  to 
Vermont  immediately  thereafter  and  settled  at  Man- 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      47 

Chester.  He  served  as  State's  Attorney  for  Bennington 
county  from  1801  until  1813,  and  again  in  1819,  Judge 
of  Probate  from  1806  until  1813,  Member  of  Congress 
for  one  term,  represented  Manchester  in  the  Legislature 
in  1815  and  again  in  1818,  when  he  was  chosen  Speaker, 
was  Assistant  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  1815  and 
1816,  was  Governor  from  1820  to  1823  and  Chief  Jus- 
tice of  the  Supreme  Court  from  1823  to  1828.  He  died, 
May  23,  1833. 

Charles  Rich  was  born  in  Warwick,  Mass.,  September 
13,  1771,  and  came  to  Shoreham  in  1787,  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years,  making  the  journey  on  foot.  Although 
poor  and  without  educational  advantages,  he  became  a 
man  of  much  more  than  ordinary  intelligence  and 
acquired  a  large  property.  He  represented  Shoreham 
in  the  General  Assembly  from  1800  to  1802,  from  1804 
to  1812  and  again  in  1815.  He  was  elected  to  Congress 
five  times,  serving  from  1813  to  1815  and  from  1817 
until  his  death,  October  16,  1824.  He  was  a  delegate  to 
the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1814  and  a  Judge  of 
Addison  County  Court  for  six  years. 

Dudley  Chase  was  reelected  Speaker  at  the  opening 
of  the  legislative  session  of  1812,  but  when  the  election 
for  United  States  Senator  occurred,  he  w^as  chosen  "by 
a  handsome  majority"  to  succeed  the  veteran  statesman 
Stephen  R.  Bradley.  The  vote  was  110  for  Chase,  94 
for  Judge  Royall  Tyler,  and  4  scattering.  General 
Bradley's  withdrawal  from  public  life  was  due  to  his 
dissatisfaction  w^ith  the  war,  according  to  the  Senator's 
son-in-law%  S.  G.  Goodrich,  better  known  by  his  pen- 
name  of  Peter  Parley.     Senator  Bradley  was  probably 


48  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

the  most  influential  man  whom  Vermont  sent  to  either 
branch  of  Congress  during  the  first  thirty  years  of  its 
existence  as  a  State.  He  was  no  man's  man,  and  he 
followed  neither  Presidents  nor  party  leaders  blindly. 
He  served  his  State  long  and  faithfully  and  was  a 
national  figure  for  many  years. 

Dudley  Chase,  the  new  Senator,  was  born  in  Cornish, 
N.  H.,  December  30,  1771.  He  was  graduated  from 
Dartmouth  College  in  1791,  studied  law  and  settled  in 
Randolph,  Vt.  He  was  State's  Attorney  for  Orange 
county  from  1803  until  1811,  a  member  of  the  Constitu- 
tional Conventions  of  1814  and  1822  and  represented 
Randolph  in  the  Legislature  from  1805  to  1812,  being 
elected  Speaker  for  five  consecutive  terms.  At  the 
expiration  of  his  first  term  in  the  United  States  Senate 
he  was  elected  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  and 
served  on  the  bench  until  1820,  when  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  law.  He  represented  Randolph  again  in  the 
Legislature  in  1823  and  1824,  when  he  was  chosen 
United  States  Senator  for  a  second  time.  He  died  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1846.  He  was  a  brother  of  Bishop  Philander 
Chase  of  Ohio,  and  Salmon  P.  Chase,  Senator,  Gov- 
ernor, Lincoln's  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  and  Chief 
Justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  was  his 
nephew. 

A  meeting  of  Republican  members  of  the  Vermont 
Legislature  was  held  in  Jefiferson  Hall  on  the  evening 
of  October  9,  1812.  The  attendance  was  one  hundred  and 
thirty- four,  and  Elihu  Luce  presided.  Resolutions 
were  adopted  setting  forth  the  need  of  keeping  in  power 
those  who  had  won  the  confidence  of  the  people,  attack- 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      49 

ing  those  who  advocated  a  peace  policy,  and  declaring 
that  "We  feel  it  our  incumbent  duty  at  the  ensuing  elec- 
tion of  first  and  second  magistrates  of  the  Union,  to  sup- 
port James  Madison  as  President  and  Elbridge  Gerry 
as  Vice  President  of  the  United  States." 

The  Presidential  Electors  chosen  in  1812  were 
Nathaniel  Niles  of  West  Fairlee,  Josiah  Wright  of 
Pownal,  Noah  Chittenden  of  Jericho,  William  A.  Gris- 
wold  of  Danville,  William  Slade  of  Cornwall,  Elihu 
Luce  of  Hartland,  John  H.  Andrus  and  Mark  Richards 
of  Westminster.  The  electoral  vote  of  Vermont  was 
cast  for  James  Madison  and  Elbridge  Gerry.  It  is  sig- 
nificant that  the  opposition  to  the  war  was  so  strong 
that  the  only  Northern  States  carried  by  Madison  were 
Vermont,  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio. 

Governor  Galusha  naturally  devoted  most  of  his  in- 
augural address  to  the  war  and  related  problems.  He 
expressed  the  belief  that  the  National  Government,  by 
every  means  within  its  power,  had  endeavored  to  "re- 
move the  encroachments  on  our  lawful  commerce  and 
the  infringements  on  our  national  rights  and  independ- 
ence," without  resorting  to  war.  "Such  has  been  her 
(Great  Britain's)  conduct  toward  the  United  States," 
he  said,  "that  we  had  no  alternative  but  to  submit  to  her 
arbitrary  edicts  and  abandon  our  real  independence,  or 
with  manly  fortitude  contend  for  our  sacred  rights  at 
the  expense  and  hazard  of  a  war  with  that  formidable 
nation,  which  in  the  exercise  of  power  is  regardless  of 
right.  *  *  *  Although  some  doubt  the  propriety  of 
the  measures  adopted,  yet  war  being  declared  by  the  con- 
stituted authorities  of  our  country,  it  ought  no  longer 


50  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

to  remain  a  question  of  policy,  but  it  has  become  the 
duty  of  the  State  governments,  and  of  every  individual, 
with  promptitude  to  espouse  the  sacred  cause  of  our  in- 
jured country.  *  *  *  At  so  important  and  interest- 
ing a  crisis  as  the  present,  it  is  expedient  that  we  lay 
aside  all  party  prejudices  and  unite  in  one  common 
cause  to  maintain  our  independence.  *  *  *  Is  it 
possible  to  conceive  that  any  citizen,  living  under  such 
a  mild  and  equal  government,  can  be  so  destitute  of  the 
principles  of  patriotism,  and  so  lost  to  their  own  true 
interests,  as  through  a  fond  passion  for  a  foreign  power, 
the  violence  of  party  zeal  or  the  sordid  passion  of 
avarice,  to  betray  the  just  cause  of  their  suffering  coun- 
try, prolong  the  horrors  of  war,  invoke  the  vengeance 
of  heaven,  and  be  guilty  of  the  blood  of  thousands,  by 
devoting  their  talents  and  yielding  their  support  to  a 
nation  whose  pledged  faith  has  been  so  often  violated, 
and  whose  tender  mercies  by  experience  have  been 
proved  to  consist  in  cruelty?     *     *     * 

"Situated  as  this  State  is,  contiguous  to  the  populous 
settlements  of  the  enemy  and  exposed  to  the  whole  mili- 
tary force  in  Lower  Canada,  I  should  be  deficient  in 
my  duty  if  I  did  not  recommend  to  you  in  the  most 
pressing  manner,  by  every  mean(s)  in  your  power  to 
put  this  State  in  the  best  possible  posture  of  defence; 
to  have  the  militia  properly  equipped,  ready  to  take  the 
field,  and  provide  for  their  speedy  and  effectual  move- 
ment to  any  place  of  danger  whenever  danger  requires. 
The  militia  law  will  need  a  thorough  revision,  and  many 
additions  to  render  it  efficient  for  the  exigencies  of  war. 
*     *     *     The   promptitude   with   which   the   detached 


EMBARC;0   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812      51 

militia  in  most  of  the  towns  have  marched  to  the  defence 
of  the  frontier,  has  exceeded  my  highest  expectations. 
Such  a  patriotic  and  military  ardor  pervades  the  State, 
that  many  thousands  of  the  inhabitants  who  were  by 
law  exempt  from  military  duty,  have  enrolled  them- 
selves, elected  their  officers,  and  tendered  their  services 
to  support  the  laws  and  government  of  their  country, 
suppress  insurrections  and  repel  invasions."  A  reply, 
said  to  have  been  "eminently  partisan,"  was  adopted  by 
a  vote  of  112  to  81. 

Charles  Rich  of  Shoreham  introduced  the  following 
resolution:  "We,  the  representatives  of  the  people  of 
Vermont,  believing  that  in  times  like  those  in  which  we 
now  live,  it  is  both  proper  and  necessary  that  our  senti- 
ments should  be  known,  not  only  to  our  constituents,  but 
to  our  sister  States,  and  the  General  Government,  do 
hereby  adopt  the  following  resolution : 

"Resolved,  That  the  constituted  authorities  of  our 
country,  having  declared  war  between  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain  and  her  dependencies,  it  is  our  duty 
as  citizens  to  support  the  measure,  otherwise  we  should 
identify  ourselves  w^ith  the  enemy,  with  no  other  distinc- 
tion than  that  of  locality.  We  therefore  pledge  our- 
selves to  each  other  and  to  our  Government,  that  with 
our  individual  exertions,  our  example  and  influence,  we 
will  support  our  Government  and  country  in  the  present 
contest,  and  rely  on  the  Great  Arbiter  of  events  for  a 
favorable  result." 

Daniel  Chipman  of  Middlebury,  a  Federalist  leader, 
moved  to  amend  by  substituting  the  following:  "We, 
the  representatives  of  the  people  of  Vermont,  believing 


52  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

the  present  crisis  to  be  such  that  our  sentiments  ought 
to  be  directly  known,  both  to  our  sister  States,  the  Gen- 
eral Government  and  the  world,  do  therefore  adopt  the 
following  resolution: 

"Resolved,  That  the  constituted  authorities  of  our 
country,  having  declared  war  against  the  United  King- 
dom of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  and  her  dependencies, 
whatever  may  be  our  opinions  as  to  the  wisdom  and 
expediency  of  the  measure,  it  is  our  duty  as  good  citi- 
zens to  submit ;  to  support  our  own  Government  at  every 
hazard;  to  obey  the  constitutional  calls  of  our  country 
and  to  rely  on  the  Great  Arbiter  of  events  for  a  favor- 
able result." 

The  Chipman  resolution  was  lost  by  a  vote  of  80  to 
127,  and  the  original  resolution  was  adopted  by  a  vote 
of  128  to  79.  The  Governor  and  Council  adopted  the 
measure  in  concurrence. 

The  members  who  opposed  the  Rich  resolution  issued 
a  protest  against  its  adoption,  particularly  objecting  to 
the  statement,  ''otherwise  we  should  identify  ourselves 
with  the  enemy."  In  this  statement  they  declared: 
"As  we  do  conscientiously  believe  that  the  declaration 
of  war  alluded  to  in  said  resolution  was  premature,  and 
the  war  itself  inexpedient  and  likely  to  be  extremely  in- 
jurious to  the  people,  we  feel  ourselves  most  solemnly 
bound,  not  only  as  good  and  faithful  citizens,  but  as 
members  of  this  Assembly,  unequivocally  to  express  our 
decided  disapprobation  of  the  measure."  This  protest 
was  signed  by  seventy-seven  members. 

The  Legislature  passed  laws  defining  the  duties  of  the 
commissary  department,  directing  the  Commissary  Gen- 


l-.Ml'.ARCO   ACT    AM)    WAR    OI"    1X12       53 

eral  to  purchase  four  thousand  stands  of  arms  and 
trans])ort  them  iiiln  the  State  for  the  use  of  the  militia. 
Ci\il  process  against  officers  and  soldiers  was  suspended 
while  they  were  in  the  service.  Each  town  was  directed 
to  provide  arms  and  equipment  for  men  unable  to  arm 
and  equip  themselves.  The  provisions  of  an  act  to  pre- 
vent intercourse  with  enemies  on  the  northern  frontier 
fixed  a  penalty  of  one  thousand  dollars,  or  seven  years' 
imprisonment,  or  both,  for  any  person  who  should  pass 
or  repass  from  V^ermont  to  Lower  Canada  without  a 
permit  from  the  Governor.  Persons  driving  cattle  or 
horses  or  conveying  property  towards  Lower  Canada 
sub  uiodo  were  liable  to  be  apprehended  and  compelled 
to  give  bonds.  Property  moving  into  Lower  Canada  or 
concealed  near  the  same  was  liable  to  be  forfeited.  Per- 
sons driving  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  swine  or  transport- 
ing property  into  Lower  Canada  were  liable  to  forfeit 
the  same,  pay  a  sum  equal  to  double  the  value  of  the 
property,  and  be  further  liable  to  the  penalties  and 
punishment  mentioned  in  the  first  section  of  the  act. 
Trunks  and  papers  might  be  inspected  without  warrant 
by  any  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  letters  and  papers  might 
be  detained.  Another  act  provided  for  raising  a  volun- 
teer corps  of  two  brigades  consisting  of  sixty-four  com- 
panies of  infantry,  two  of  artillery  and  two  of  cavalry. 
A  military  aide  was  provided  for  the  Cjovcrnor  during 
the  war. 

It  was  voted  that  the  detached  militia  in  service  should 
receive  ten  dollars  per  month  as  wages.  A  tax  of  one 
cent  on  the  dollar  of  the  grand  list  w^as  laid,  and,  in  addi- 
tion, one  cent  on  each  acre  of  land,  public  lands  excepted. 


54  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

It  was  estimated  that  this  would  raise  "the  enormous 
sum"  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  thousand  dollars. 

On  September  28,  1812,  Rockingham  voted  not  to 
raise  money  to  make  up  the  deficiency  in  the  wages  of 
the  soldiers  who  had  gone  to  Burlington  from  that  town, 
but  raised  a  tax  of  one  cent  on  the  dollar  to  pay  their 
expenses.  Poultney,  by  a  vote  of  79  to  59,  taken  in 
the  same  year,  refused  to  pay  three  dollars  a  month  to 
the  men  from  that  town  who  had  enlisted.  At  a  town 
meeting  held  at  Norwich,  June  18,  1812,  resolutions 
were  adopted  condemning  Great  Britain's  aggression, 
and  adding:  "We  do  most  solemnly  pledge  ourselves, 
our  property  and  our  all  in  support  of  our  Government 
in  demanding  justice  of  Great  Britain." 

During  this  session  the  majority  party  passed  a  law 
providing  that  the  six  Congressmen  should  be  elected 
on  a  general  ticket,  instead  of  choosing  them  by  dis- 
tricts. The  Federalists  protested  vigorously  against  this 
change,  asserting  that  the  reason  for  it  was  the  fact  that 
in  the  past  their  party  had  been  able  to  elect  some  mem- 
bers of  the  delegation. 

During  this  session  representatives  of  the  Caugh- 
nawaga  Indians  presented  certain  claims  and  asked  for 
an  annual  payment  of  money.  The  Legislature  declined 
to  accede  to  this  request,  but  voted  one  hundred  dollars 
for  presents  for  the  tribal  chiefs  and  an  equal  amount 
for  their  expenses. 

Before  war  was  declared  the  President  had  directed 
Governor  Galusha  to  have  three  thousand  of  the  militia 
of  Vermont  detached,  organized  and  equipped,  and  held 
in  readiness  to  march  at  a  moment's  warning.     Orders 


iaiI>AR(U)   ACT   AXI)    WAR   Oh^    1X12       ^.l 

were  issued  by  Adjt.  Gen.  David  Fay  on  May  1,  1812,  to 
Maj.  Gens.  Lewis  R.  Morris,  David  Robinson,  Hezekiah 
IJarnes  and  William  Gaboon,  to  detacb  certain  officers 
and  men  fr«>iii  ibeir  respective  divisions.  When  ordered 
iiUo  the  field  this  force  was  to  be  under  the  command 
of  Gen.  Jonathan  Orms  of  Fair  Haven,  commanding 
the  second  brigade  of  the  second  division. 

The  Eleventh  Regiment  was  organized  in  1812  with 
Isaac  Clark,  a  Revolutionary  veteran,  as  Colonel.  It 
ai)pears  originally  to  have  consisted  of  six  Vermont  and 
four  New  Hampshire  companies. 

The  tow^ns  along  the  Canadian  border  had  been  set- 
tled only  a  short  time  and  the  inhabitants  w'ere  com- 
paratively few.  Even  before  war  actually  was  de- 
clared there  was  consternation  in  these  exposed  town- 
ships. A  special  town  meeting  was  called  in  Troy,  May 
12,  1812,  to  see  what  action  should  be  taken  toward 
furnishing  the  local  militia  with  arms  and  ammunition: 
and  the  selectmen  were  authorized  to  borrow  twenty 
muskets  and  bayonets  on  the  credit  of  the  town,  and  to 
purchase  tw^enty-five  pounds  of  powder  and  one  hun- 
dred weight  of  lead  if  it  could  be  secured  on  six  months' 
credit. 

As  soon  as  war  was  declared  the  Selectmen  of  Barnet, 
Cabot,  Canaan,  Craftsbury,  Danville,  Glover,  Greens- 
boro, Hardwick,  Irasburg,  Lowell,  Lyndon,  Morris- 
town,  Peacham,  Ryegate,  St.  Johnsbury,  Sheffield,  Troy, 
Walden  and  Wheelock,  furnished  and  supported  a  small 
number  of  men  as  guards  in  the  frontier  towns  of 
Canaan,  Derby  and  Troy,  and  spies  were  sent  into 
Canada.      Later   the   State  assumed   the  cost   of   this 


56  HISTORY  OF  VER^MOXT 

service.  Palisades  were  erected  at  Troy  and  Westfield. 
A  storehouse  was  built  on  North  hill  in  Brownington, 
in  which  a  stock  of  ammunition  was  placed.  Barracks 
and  a  guardhouse  were  built  at  Derby.  A  fort  was 
erected  at  Lowell,  but  it  was  not  used.  Families  in 
Tlighgate  assembled  for  safety  when  rumors  were  circu- 
lated that  Indians  were  approaching,  but  no  Indians 
came.  A  veritable  panic  seems  to  have  seized  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  several  of  the  towns  of  Orleans  county, 
an  Indian  raid  being  expected,  and  the  residents  fled, 
abandoning  houses  and  farms.  Orleans  county  did  not 
recover  from  the  effects  of  this  war  for  many  years. 
Some  of  those  w'ho  left  never  returned  and  others  who 
came  back  suffered  long  from  poverty  and  discourage- 
ment. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1812  the  principal 
force  for  the  protection  of  the  northern  border  was 
stationed  at  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.  A  newspaper  report 
dated  Plattsburg,  October  16,  says  that  General  Orms 
with  Colonel  Martindale's  regiment  of  Vermont  de- 
tached militia  arrived  at  that  place  the  preceding  Wed- 
nesday. A  newspaper  account,  dated  October  22,  men- 
tions the  arrival  at  Burlington  on  the  preceding  Satur- 
day of  companies  of  light  dragoons  and  flying  artillery 
from  Philadelphia.  On  the  same  day  Col.  J.  ^^''il1iams' 
regiment  of  the  detached  militia  of  Vermont  joined  the 
army  at  Plattsburg. 

During  the  latter  ])art  of  1812,  as  the  cold  weather 
approached,  the  women  of  the  State  made  socks  and 
mittens  for  the  soldiers.  Two  sleigh  loads  of  vege- 
tables, apples,  butter,  cheese.  ni)plc  sauce  and  fowls  were 


EMBARCUJ   AC'J^   AND   WAR   OF    1812       57 

sent  to  General  Chandler  tor  tlie  sick  s(jldiers.  In 
acknowledging  the  gift  the  commanding  officer  declared 
that  "the  illness  which  has  prevailed  (and  which  has 
been  so  wantonly  exaggerated)  appears  to  be  fast  sub- 
siding." According  to  the  Burlington  Sentinel  nearly 
five  hundred  of  General  Chandler's  brigade  at  one  time 
were  unfit  for  duty.  The  opponents  of  the  war  seem  to 
have  painted  conditions  in  the  darkest  colors  and  the 
supporters  of  the  administration  appear  to  have  en- 
deavored to  keep  disagreeable  features  in  the  back- 
ground. Partisanship  distorted  the  vision  of  men  so 
that  even  the  condition  of  the  soldiers'  health  w^as  used 
as  fuel  to  feed  the  fires  of  party  strife. 

A  letter  from  Burlington,  dated  November  29,  1812, 
says  that  "General  Dearborn  with  the  principal  part 
of  his  army  has  returned  to  this  place  for  winter  quar- 
ters." Another  letter,  bearing  the  date  of  December  7, 
says:  "The  army  at  Plattsburg  is  now  broken  up — the 
rapid  descent  is  suspended — and  our  troops  have  re- 
turned to  Vermont."  Maj.  Gen.  Henry  Dearborn  of 
Massachusetts,  senior  officer  of  the  army,  had  assembled 
a  force  of  five  thousand  troops  on  the  Canadian  border, 
to  meet  an  inferior  British  force,  but  the  movement 
ended  ingloriously  for  the  Americans,  one  party  of  our 
troops  having  attacked  another  American  detachment 
by  mistake,  whereupon  the  entire  force  retired. 

At  the  close  of  the  season  of  1812,  "my  poor  forlorn 
looking  squadron,"  as  Lieutenant  Macdonotigh  described 
his  fleet,  went  into  winter  (|uarters  at  Shelburne. 
Obtaining  a  leave  of  absence  at  the  close  of  the  season 
of    1812,    Macdonough    went    to    Middletown,    Conn., 


58  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

where,  on  December  12,  he  married  Miss  Lucy  Ann 
Shaler,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Shaler,  who  in  his  youth 
had  been  a  Tory.  Macdonough  brought  his  bride,  an 
attractive  and  talented  young  woman,  to  Burlington, 
where  the  couple  spent  the  winter.  The  American  com- 
mander devoted  his  time  to  putting  his  fleet  into  better 
condition.  Fifteen  ship  carpenters  were  sent  from  New 
York  in  February  and  March,  1813,  carronades,  gun 
carriages  and  ammunition  were  sent  to  Whitehall  to  be 
forwarded  to  Shelburne  when  navigation  opened.  The 
Sloops  Hunter  and  Bull  Dog  were  remodeled  so  as  to 
carry  eleven  guns  each  instead  of  seven,  and  they  were 
renamed  the  Groider  and  the  Eagle.  The  President 
was  the  flagship  during  the  whole  of  the  year  1813. 

In  April  Macdonough  sailed  out  of  Shelburne  harbor 
with  the  sloop  President,  12  guns;  the  sloop  Grozvler, 
commanded  by  Lieut.  Sidney  Smith,  11  guns;  the  sloop 
Eagle,  commanded  by  Sailing  Master  Jairus  Loomis,  1 1 
guns;  and  two  gunboats,  each  carrying  two  gims. 
About  April  25  the  three  sloops  were  at  Plattsburg. 

During  the  month  of  June  Macdonough  received 
orders  from  Secretary  of  the  Navy  Jones,  which  in- 
cluded the  following  admonition:  "You  are  to  under- 
stand that  upon  no  account  are  you  to  sufter  the  enemy 
to  gain  the  ascendency  on  Lake  Champlain." 

During  the  first  week  of  June,  1813,  a  British  force 
was  reported  to  be  annoying  both  shores  of  the  lake  and 
Lieut.  Sidney  Smith  was  ordered  to  proceed  against 
the  enemy  with  the  Growler  and  the  Eagle.  Mac- 
donough's  flagship,  the  President,  had  been  run  ashore 
and  damaged  and  he  remained  to  make  repairs.     The 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      59 

crews  were  niustly  recruited  from  Captain  Herrick's 
company  of  McCobb's  Maine  regiment,  who  were  chietiy 
lumbermen  from  the  seacoast  towns. 

Lieutenant  Smith  left  Plattsburg  on  June  2,  anchor- 
ing for  the  night  near  the  international  boundary.  Very 
early  the  next  morning,  without  orders,  and  contrary  to 
Macdonough's  advice,  he  proceeded  down  the  Richelieu 
River  as  far  as  Isle  aux  Tetes,  or  Ash  Island,  where 
he  sighted  and  chased  three  British  gunboats.  With  a 
strong  south  wind  blowing.  Isle  aux  Noix  was  soon 
approached.  The  fortifications  here  were  too  strong  to 
attack  and  afforded  protection  for  the  gunboats.  The 
Grozvler  and  the  Bagle  now  attempted  to  beat  back 
against  the  adverse  wind  and  the  swift  current,  a  diffi- 
cult task. 

The  enemy,  seeing  the  plight  of  the  American  boats, 
sent  out  row^  galleys,  armed  with  more  powerful  guns 
than  those  carried  by  Smith's  craft.  About  two  hun- 
dred or  three  hundred  men  were  distributed  along  both 
shores  of  the  river,  by  the  British  commandant,  and  a 
brisk  musket  fire  was  opened.  After  a  battle  lasting 
several  hours  a  24-pound  shot  struck  the  port  bow  of 
the  Eagle,  and  passing  obliquely  through  the  ship,  tore 
off  three  planks  from  her  starboard  side  below  the  water 
line.  The  boat  immediately  sank,  but  in  shallow  water, 
and  members  of  the  crew  were  taken  off  by  boats  sent 
from  shore.  A  little  later,  about  11:15  o'clock,  a  24- 
pound  shot  struck  the  Grozvlcr's  mast,  rendering  the 
sloop  unmanageable.  Her  ammunition  was  exhausted 
and  she  was  run  ashore,  where  she  was  captured.  On 
the  Groivler,  one  man  w^as  killed  and  eight  men  were 


60  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

wounded;  on  the  Eagle,  eleven  were  wounded.  The 
British  loss  is  said  to  have  been  severe.  The  captured 
officers  and  crews,  numbering  one  hundred  and  twelve 
men,  were  sent  as  prisoners  to  Montreal  and  later  to 
Halifax.  Lieutenant  Smith  and  two  companions 
escaped  from  jail  at  Quebec  by  making-  a  rope  of  strips 
of  carpet  and  letting  themselves  down  from  an  attic  win- 
dow, but  they  were  soon  recaptured.  A  court  of  inquiry 
investigated  the  capture  of  the  boats  and  exonerated 
Lieutenant  Smith. 

The  Grozvler  and  the  Eagle  were  refitted  and  re- 
christened  the  Broke  and  the  Shannon.  Macdonough, 
with  the  President  and  two  gunboats,  retired  to  Bur- 
lington. 

The  British  force  on  the  lake,  with  this  success,  was 
superior  to  that  commanded  by  Macdonough,  and  great 
alarm  was  created  by  rumors  that  an  army  six  thousand 
strong  was  to  be  sent  into  the  Champlain  valley  from 
Canada.  Col.  Isaac  Clark  called  upon  the  militia  to 
rally  to  the  defence  of  the  exposed  frontier,  and  also 
appealed  to  the  men  who  had  passed  the  age  when  they 
were  subject  to  military  service.  As  a  result  of  this 
appeal  a  "Burlington  Corps  of  Exempts"  was  organized, 
containing  fifty-seven  men.  According  to  the  late  Hon. 
G.  G.  Benedict,  "this  roll  comprised  prominent  jurists, 
lawyers,  physicians,  bankers,  merchants,  and  others  of 
the  first  citizens  of  Burlington  of  that  day."  The  two 
Burlington  militia  companies,  commanded  by  Capt. 
Moses  Jewett  and  Capt.  Guy  Catlin,  respectively,  and 
the  "Corps  of  Exempts,"  were  ordered,  on  June  10,  to 
be  readv  for  immediate  service. 


A  Winter  Scene  in  Vermont 


EMBARC'.O   ACT   AND    WAR   OF    1812       (il 

Tlircc  days  later,  uii  June  13,  1813,  live  cunipaiiies 
of  the  Thirteenth  L'.  S.  infantry,  comprising  live  hun- 
dred and  lifty  men  under  command  of  Major  Rhelps, 
and  a  detachment  of  United  States  Artillery  with  two 
24-pound  guns,  arrived.  The  artillery  was  commanded 
by  Lieut.  Sylvester  Churchill,  recently  graduated  from 
the  United  States  Military  Academy,  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, who  was  Inspector  General  of  the  army  at  the 
opening  of  the  Civil  War,  in  1861. 

Under  the  direction  of  Lieutenant  Churchill,  what  is 
now  called  the  Battery  Park  was  fortified.  From  lields 
a  mile  or  two  distant,  sods  were  brought  with  which  a 
parapet  containing  thirteen  embrasures  was  built.  A 
regiment  raised  near  Burlington,  containing  five  hun- 
dred men  and  commanded  by  Colonel  Williams,  arrived 
June  16,  and  encamped  on  a  plateau  nearby.  On 
June  20,  the  Fourth  U.  S.  Infantry,  seven  hundred 
strong,  commanded  by  Lieut.  Col.  John  Dorrington, 
arrived  from  Boston;  also  a  detachment  of  regular 
troops  under  Lieut.  Col.  Martin  Norton,  bringing  four 
pieces  of  heavy  artillery. 

A  little  later  the  Thirty-first  Regiment  from  Windsor 
county,  under  Col.  Daniel  Dana,  and  more  heavy  artil- 
lery arrived.  This  regiment  was  organized  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1813.  The  Thirtieth  Regiment,  Col.  Elias  Fas- 
sett  commanding,  had  been  organized  during  the  same 
month,  and  in  May,  1813,  the  Twenty-sixth  Infantry 
was  organized  to  serve  for  a  year,  Col.  Isaac  Clark  com- 
manding. Apparently  it  was  consolidated  with  the 
Forty-eighth  Regiment  the  following  year. 


62  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

It  is  related  that  desertions  were  frequent,  and 
that  on  June  21,  eight  deserters,  who  had  been  tried  by 
court  martial  and  sentenced  to  death,  were  brought  forth 
in  the  presence  of  a  great  concourse  of  people  to  be 
executed.  The  troops  were  formed  in  a  hollow  square. 
Colonel  Clark  was  within  this  square,  seated  on  a  white 
horse,  and  the  condemned  men  being  brought  before  him, 
were  solemnly  warned  not  to  repeat  the  offence,  and  then 
were  pardoned.  A  little  later  John  Cummings  of  the 
Fourth  U.  S.  Infantry,  blindfolded  and  kneeling  on  his 
coffin,  was  shot  as  a  deserter.  There  were  encamped  at 
Burlington  on  July  6,  about  three  thousand  men,  com- 
prising the  Second  Battalion  of  the  Fourth  U.  S.  Infan- 
try, six  companies  of  the  Eleventh  Infantry,  recruited 
in  Vermont,  the  Twenty-ninth  Infantry,  the  Thirtieth 
Infantry,  recruited  in  Vermont,  the  Thirty-first  Infan- 
try, two  troops  of  cavalry  and  two  companies  of  artil- 
lery. Wooden  barracks  for  the  men  were  erected  be- 
tween Pearl  and  North  streets,  extending  north  and 
south,  and  several  small  story-and-a-half  cottages  were 
built  at  the  lower  end  of  Pearl  street  for  officers' 
quarters. 

Gen.  Wade  Hampton,  grandfather  of  the  Wade 
Hampton  ])rominent  as  a  Confederate  cavalry  officer 
and  United  States  Senator  from  South  Carolina,  arrived 
at  Burlington  on  July  30,  and  assumed  command.  Gen- 
eral Dearborn  having  retired.  Returns  for  August  2 
show  that  the  army  under  Hampton's  control  consisted 
of  140  dragoons,  90  artillerymen,  3,017  regular  infantry, 
and  806  militia,  a  total  of  4,053  men.  Of  this  number 
557  were  reported  sick,  and  2i27  absent.     Gen.  James 


KMi;.\R(;()   ACT   AXJ)    WAR    Ol'    1S12       V>:\ 

Wilkinson  had   been  assigned   lo   ihc  command  of   ihc 
Northern  department. 

Macdonough  endeavored  to  repair  the  damage  sus- 
tained by  the  loss  of  the  Grou'lcr  and  the  Eagle,  and  act- 
ing under  the  authority  given  him  he  purchased  two 
sloops  and  fitted  them  out  at  Burlington.  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  Jones  ordered  the  naval  agent  at  New  York  to 
forward  the  guns  which  Macdonough  needed,  adding, 
that  "the  critical  state  of  things  on  Lake  Champlain  by 
the  unfortunate  loss  of  the  Groidcr  and  the  Eagle 
renders  great  exertions  necessary  in  order  to  regain 
command  of  that  lake."  A  number  of  ship  carpenters 
were  hired  at  New  York  and  Captain  Evans  of  the 
Brooklyn  Navy  Yard  w^as  ordered  to  send  one  hundred 
sailors  to  Lake  Champlain.  It  was  so  difficult  to  obtain 
men  for  his  ships  that  Macdonough  informed  General 
Hampton  early  in  July  that  it  was  his  intention  tem- 
porarily to  dismantle  and  lay  up  the  two  gunboats  until 
crews  could  be  secured. 

A  careful  w^atch  for  smugglers  was  kept  along  the 
northern  frontier.  A  Lyndon  man,  in  relating  his 
experience,  said  he  was  halted  six  times  within  a  dis- 
tance of  a  mile  and  a  half.  Tie  was  also  stopped  and 
searched  twenty-five  miles  south  of  the  line. 

Col.  John  Murray,  on  July  31,  with  more  than  1,400 
British  soldiers  and  marines,  on  two  sloops,  the  Broke 
and  the  Shannon,  three  gunboats,  and  forty-seven 
bateaux,  took  possession  of  Plattsburg,  destroying  much 
public  property.  Most  of  the  public  stores  had  been 
removed  to  Burlington.     When  the  British  approached 


64  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Plattsburg,  the  women  and  children  fled  to  the  town  of 
Peru,  N.  Y. 

On  Monday  morning,  August  2,  the  Broke,  com- 
manded by  Capt.  Thomas  Everard,  the  Shannon,  under 
Capt.  Daniel  Pring,  and  one  gunboat  appeared  olf  Bur- 
lington "to  observe  the  state  of  the  enemy's  force  there 
and  to  afford  him  an  opportunity  of  deciding  the  naval 
superiority  of  the  lake,"  as  Everard  reported  the  follow- 
ing day  to  Sir  George  Prevost.  Macdonough's  ships 
were  in  no  condition  to  do  battle  with  the  British  squad- 
ron. Two  sloops  were  in  the  hands  of  the  carpenters, 
one  being  without  a  mast.  One  sloop  was  fit  for  duty, 
in  addition  to  which  there  were  two  small  gunboats,  each 
carrying  a  12-pounder,  and  two  or  three  scows.  These 
craft  were  anchored  under  the  protection  of  the  battery 
on  the  bluff. 

At  2:30  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  British  ships 
approached  Burlington,  it  being  supposed  that  they  in- 
tended, if  possible,  to  destroy  three  public  storehouses 
erected  on  the  wharf.  When  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  shore  a  cannonade  w^as  begun,  the  fire  being  re- 
turned by  the  battery  under  Lieutenant  Churchill,  1)y 
Macdonough's  ships,  and  by  Captain  Chapell  of  the 
artillery,  who  had  loaded  a  12-pounder  on  each  of  two 
scows,  the  skirmish  lasting  twenty  minutes.  Having 
received  several  shots  from  the  American  guns,  the 
British  ships  drew  off  toward  the  south. 

Some  of  Macdonough's  ships  followed  for  two  miles, 
but  did  not  venture  farther,  as  it  was  believed  that  other 
vessels  were  in  hiding  ready  to  attack,  returning  two 
hours  later  to  their  anchorage  under  the  guns  of  the  land 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      65 

battery.  The  British  ships  proceeded  south  as  far  as 
Charlotte,  captured  and  destroyed  several  small  sailing 
vessels,  and  returned  northward  the  next  morning  with 
a  small  sloop  laden  with  Hour,  taken  near  Shelburne,  and 
two  or  three  ferry  boats  as  prizes.  No  damage  of  im- 
portance was  done  at  Burlington. 

At  the  same  time  that  this  raid  was  made  upon  Platts- 
burg  and  Burlington,  the  exact  date  being  a  matter  of 
dispute,  two  British  gunboats  and  some  of  the  bateaux 
entered  Maquam  Bay,  on  the  Swanton  shore.  About 
six  hundred  soldiers  landed  at  what  was  known  as  the 
Manzer  place,  and  compelled  Martin  Manzer,  then  an 
old  man,  to  act  as  guide  to  Swanton.  A  part  of  this 
force  was  ferried  over  the  Missisquoi  River,  the  other 
members  remaining  at  the  riverside.  Troops  had  been 
stationed  at  Swanton  in  1810  and  1811  to  aid  in  enforc- 
ing the  revenue  laws.  In  1812  barracks  had  been 
erected,  built  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  east  of  the  park, 
or  "green,"  and  there  was  a  parade  ground  northwest 
of  the  barracks.  From  July  12  to  December  8,  1812, 
eight  companies  of  the  First  Vermont  militia  under  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Williams  were  stationed  there,  being 
discharged  on  the  latter  date.  Soon  after,  Colonel 
Fifield's  regiment  was  ordered  to  Swanton,  where  it 
remained  five  or  six  weeks  and  then  left,  only  to  be  sent 
back  a  little  later  to  spend  the  winter  of  1812-13  in 
quarters  at  that  place.  Early  in  the  summer  of  181  vS 
the  troops  were  ordered  away,  and  when  the  British 
approached,  the  government  stores  and  property  were 
unprotected.  The  barracks,  a  hospital  and  all  govern- 
ment property  that  could  be  found  were  burned.     One 


m  HISTORY  OF  \  ERMOxNT 

soldier  charged  with  pillaging  was  court  martialled  and 
sentenced  to  receive  three  hundred  lashes.  After  spend- 
ing a  few  hours  the  soldiers  departed,  the  entire  British 
force  retiring  to  Canada. 

The  reports  indicate  that  the  Federalists  were  in- 
clined to  minimize  the  outrages  at  Swanton,  and  the 
Republicans  to  exaggerate  them.  There  are  conflicting- 
affidavits.  One  set  tells  of  houses  stripped  of  contents, 
wheat  and  flax  trodden,  gardens  uprooted  and  appletrees 
injured.  Other  affidavits  indicate  that  the  damage  done 
was  small. 

On  July  24,  1813,  Macdonough  w^as  promoted  from 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant  to  that  of  Master  Commandant 
and  he  was  generally  called  Commodore,  although  no 
such  rank  had  been  conferred  upon  him. 

In  the  summer  of  1813  a  direct  tax  was  levied  by  Con- 
gress. The  followers  of  Thomas  Jefferson  had  pro- 
tested vigorously  against  this  method  of  taxation,  but 
now  the  Federalists  and  Republicans  changed  places, 
although  some  members  of  the  latter  party  joined  in  the 
opposition  to  the  measure.  The  Vermont  Congressmen 
are  recorded  as  follows  on  the  bill :  Voting  in  the 
affirmative,  Messrs.  Fisk  and  Rich ;  voting  in  the  nega- 
tive, Messrs.  Bradley  and  Butler;  not  voting,  Messrs. 
Skinner  and  Strong.  The  only  New  England  votes  for 
the  measure  were  the  two  cast  by  Vermont  members. 
Vermont's  share  of  the  $3,000,000  to  be  raised  was 
$96,790.34.  The  largest  quotas  were  as  follows: 
Windsor  county,  $15,542.32;  Rutland  county,  $14,- 
036.09;  Windham  county,  $11,867.85;  Orange  county, 
$1 1 ,784.05  ;  Addison  countv,  $10,079.1 1. 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812      (J7 

Air.  l'*isk  of  X'crnionl  was  a  mciiil)cr  of  the  select  com- 
mittee appointed  in  July,  1813,  to  report  an  embargo 
hill.  At  this  time  Mr.  Fisk  was  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Elections.  Other  committee  assignments  of 
X'crmont  Congressmen  included  Bradley  on  Post  Offices 
and  Post  Roads  and  Skinner  on  Military  Establishment. 
At  the  December  session  of  1813,  Mr.  Bradley  was 
assigned  to  the  Committee  on  District  of  Columbia;  Mr. 
Strong  to  Militia  Laws;  and  Mr.  Fisk  to  Retaliation. 
In  1814  Mr.  Fisk  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
Judiciary  Committee. 

Congressman  William  C.  Bradley  appears  to  have  in- 
herited traits  of  independence  from  his  distinguished 
father,  and  on  July  9,  1813,  an  extra  session  of  Congress 
having  been  called,  he  introduced  the  following  resolu- 
tion: "Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to  in- 
(|uire  into  the  causes  which  have  led  to  the  multiplied 
failures  of  the  arms  of  the  United  States  on  our  West 
and  Northwest  frontiers ;  and  that  the  committee  be 
authorized  to  send  for  persons  and  papers."  This  reso- 
lution was  introduced  with  what  seemed  to  a  Federalist 
newspaper,  "very  pertinent  and  ])roper  remarks."  In  his 
speech  he  severely  criticized  the  conduct  of  the  war,  say- 
ing that  the  people  "have  been  cruelly  disappointed.  In- 
stead of  victory  they  have  met  with  nothing  but  defeat,  or 
if  success  has  perched  upon  our  unsteady  standard  it  has 
1)een  evanescent,  unsup])orted  and  unimproved.  Instead 
of  that  harmony  and  cooperation  which  alone  assures 
success,  we  behold  division  and  partial  and  unconnected 
enterprises.  *  *  *  Instead  of  shouts  of  triumph  re- 
sounding  through   the   country   and   making   even   the 


68  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

walls  of  the  Capitol  to  vibrate  with  joy,  almost  every 
paper  which  is  daily  laid  upon  our  tables  teems  with 
some  new  tale  of  disaster  and  disgrace."  He  did  not 
pretend  to  say  where  the  cause  of  the  evil  was  to  be 
found,  "but  this  he  did  know,  that  wherever  it  was,  it 
ought  to  be  ferreted  out  and  exposed  to  the  eyes  of  the 
Nation."  It  is  evident  from  the  tone  of  his  speech  that 
the  people  of  Vermont  were  disappointed  because 
Canada  had  not  been  attacked  and  conquered.  The 
resolution  was  not  adopted  and  Mr.  Bradley  was  severely 
criticized  by  his  Republican  colleagues. 

Soon  after  Congress  assembled  in  regular  session,  Mr. 
Bradley  offered  another  resolution,  December  31,  1813, 
somewhat  similar  to  the  first,  the  text  of  which  follows : 
"Resolved,  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be 
requested  to  cause  to  be  laid  before  this  House  any  in- 
formation in  his  possession,  not  improper  to  be  com- 
municated, which  may  tend  to  illustrate  the  causes  of  the 
failure  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States  on  the  North- 
ern frontier."  In  offering  the  resolution  Mr.  Bradley 
declared  that  the  objections  to  his  first  resolution  ap- 
peared now  to  have  lost  much  of  their  force,  while  "the 
reasons  which  recommended  its  adoption  had  daily 
gathered  strength."  The  resolution  was  adopted  by  a 
vote  of  137  to  13,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
present  the  same  to  the  President.  Mr.  Bradley  was 
named  as  a  mem1)er  of  the  committee  to  investigate  the 
conduct  of  army  contractors. 

Congressman  Ezra  Butler  opposed  the  passage  of 
Daniel  Webster's  resolution  asking  the  President  for 
infrd-ninlion    concerning-    the    French    decrees,    and    de- 


I'.MIIAkCO   ACT   AXl)    WAR    OI'    1X12       (;9 

fended  Madison.     Mr.  Fisk  of  Vermont  also  opposed 
the  resolution. 

That  ardent  Federalist  newspaper,  The  IVashington- 
iaii,  published  at  Windsor,  described  the  Federalist 
State  Convention  held  in  that  town  on  May  3,  1813,  as 
composed  of  the  "friends  of  peace,  commerce  and  lib- 
erty." James  Whitelaw  presided  and  a  ticket  was 
nominated  headed  by  Martin  Chittenden  for  Governor 
and  William  Chamberlain  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 
The  Republicans  renominated  Governor  Galusha.  No 
candidate  received  a  majority  for  Governor,  the  vote 
being,  Galusha,  16,828;  Chittenden,  16,532;  scattering, 
605.  A  plurality  sufficed  to  elect  members  of  the  Coun- 
cil, and  eight  Republicans  and  four  Federalists  were  de- 
clared elected.  The  Federalists  controlled  the  Assembly. 
The  canvassing  committee  rejected  the  vote  of  Col- 
chester on  account  of  the  alleged  intrusion  and  votes  of 
United  States  troops  under  command  of  Maj.  John 
McNeil  of  New  Hampshire.  Had  the  vote  of  Colchester 
been  accepted,  three  more  Republican  Councillors  would 
have  been  elected.  The  Republican  Legislature  of  1812 
had  passed  a  law^  providing  that  any  citizen  of  Vermont 
might  vote  for  State  officers  in  any  town  in  the  State 
where  he  might  happen  to  be  stationed,  by  proving  that 
he  was  a  freeman,  provided  that  all  officers  and  soldiers 
should  attend  the  freeman's  meeting  without  their  arms. 
The  Republicans  realized  that  the  election  would  be 
close,  on  account  of  the  unpopularity  of  the  Embargo 
Act  and  the  war  policy.  Therefore  I"^nited  States  Sena- 
tor Jonathan  Robinson,  the  administration  leader  in  the 
State,  appealed  to  Maj.  Gen.  W^ade  Hampton,  in  com- 


70  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

mand  of  the  Federal  troops,  in  a  letter  in  which  he  in- 
formed him  of  the  act  permitting  soldiers  to  vote, 
expressed  the  belief  that  the  votes  of  the  soldiers,  most 
of  whom  he  considered  as  friends  of  the  administration, 
would  decide  the  election,  and  asked  that  every  facility 
be  granted  the  soldiers  that  would  permit  them  to  cast 
their  ballots.  The  militia  at  Plattsburg  had  been  dis- 
charged just  before  election  and  returned  in  time  to  vote. 
The  Federalists  had  organized  the  Assembly  by  elect- 
ing Daniel  Chipman  as  Speaker,  and  the  canvassing 
committee  had  taken  testimony  of  a  conflicting  nature 
concerning  the  Colchester  election.  Several  citizens  of 
that  town  testified  under  oath  that  no  examination  was 
made  to  determine  whether  soldiers  were  or  were  not 
citizens  of  Vermont;  that  army  officers  were  active  in 
writing  votes ;  that  citizens  were  prevented  from  having 
any  intercourse  with  the  soldiers;  that  only  Republican 
votes  were  distributed  to  the  soldiers;  that  the  soldiers 
were  marched  within  twenty  feet  of  the  polling  place, 
permitted  to  vote,  and  then  marched  aw^ay  again. 
Others  testified  that  the  commanding  officer.  Major 
McNeil,  addressed  the  troops  on  parade,  saying  he  de- 
sired none  to  go  to  the  polls  who  would  not  vote  as  he 
voted;  that  the  soldiers  were  threatened  with  punish- 
ment if  they  voted  the  Federalist  ticket;  that  Federalist 
soldiers  were  detained  in  camp  on  election  day.  TIeman 
Allen,  Town  Clerk  of  Colchester,  testified  that  he  asked 
those  who  were  not  Vermont  citizens  to  step  out  of  the 
ranks  before  he  administered  the  oath,  and  that  some 
did  leave  the  ranks.  Others  testified  that  they  saw  no 
coercion  or  interference.     Affidavits  were  secured  giving 


EMBARGO  ACT   AND   WAR  OF    1X12      71 

the  names  oi  a  considerable  number  of  citizens  ut  Col- 
chester and  soldiers  who  were  citizens  of  Vermont,  who 
voted  for  Republican  candidates  for  members  of  the 
Council. 

The  Council  had  a  Republican  majority  and  made  a 
report  to  the  effect  that  the  vote  of  Colchester  should 
be  counted,  and  adopted  a  resolution  providing-  that  a 
joint  assembly  be  held  October  21  to  hear  the  petition 
and  remonstrance  of  three  Republican  candidates  for  the 
Council,  who  claimed  that  they  should  be  given  certifi- 
cates of  election.  By  a  vote  of  108  to  103  the  House 
refused  to  concur  in  the  resolution.  On  October  16 
the  House  declined  to  proceed  to  the  election  of  a  Gov- 
ernor and  Lieutenant  Governor,  probably  for  the  reason 
that  three  Federalist  Councillors  had  not  arrived.  As 
the  belated  members  had  reached  Montpelier  on  October 
20.  a  joint  resolution  was  adopted,  providing  for  a  joint 
session  for  the  election  of  certain  State  officers.  It  was 
supposed  that  the  parties  were  evenly  divided  on  joint 
ballot,  each  having  112  votes.  When  the  votes  were 
counted  for  Governor,  how^ever,  Martin  Chittenden,  the 
Federalist  candidate,  had  112,  and  Gov.  Jonas  Galusha, 

1 1 1  votes,  and  Chittenden  was  declared  elected.  Wil- 
liam Chamberlain  of  Peacham,  a  Federalist,  was  elected 
Lieutenant  Governor. 

There  w^as  great  excitement  following  the  announce- 
ment of  the  result.  The  Republicans  asserted  either 
that  one  vote  had  been  lost,  or  had  not  been  counted,  or 
that  a  Republican  member  had  been  persuaded  to  refrain 
from  voting.     A  remonstrance  was  presented,  signed  by 

1 12  members  who  claimed  to  have  voted  for  Governor 


72  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Galusha.  Afterward,  however,  reports  were  circulated 
to  the  effect  that  a  Republican  member  had  withheld  his 
vote,  and  that  efforts  had  been  made  to  induce  a  member 
to  absent  himself.  Such  reports,  however,  lacked  con- 
firmation. A  resolution  was  presented  providing  for 
the  appointment  of  a  joint  committee  to  consider  the 
remonstrance,  but  before  the  debate  had  been  concluded 
the  Governor-elect  and  Lieutenant  Governor-elect  ap- 
peared with  the  Council.  The  oath  was  administered 
and  Governor  Chittenden  delivered  his  inaugural 
address. 

For  a  long  time  a  controversy  raged  over  the  legality 
of  Martin  Chittenden's  election.  Had  the  vote  of  Col- 
chester been  counted,  three  more  Republican  Councillors 
would  have  been  elected,  which  would  have  given  a 
majority  on  joint  ballot  sufficient  to  reelect  Governor 
Galusha  and  Lieutenant  Governor  Brigham. 

A  Federalist  Council  of  Censors  was  chosen,  only  one 
Republican  member  being  elected. 

Martin  Chittenden  had  been  trained  to  public  life. 
From  childhood  to  manhood  he  had  been  reared  in  a 
home  where  his  father  had  transacted  the  business  of 
the  State.  From  the  time  he  attained  his  majority  he 
had  been  in  the  public  service  in  a  legislative  or  judicial 
capacity.  He  had  just  completed  ten  years  as  a  member 
of  Congress.  As  a  Federalist,  he  had  been  opposed  to 
the  Embargo  Act  and  the  declaration  of  war.  He  had 
also  voted  against  the  bill  pr<ihibiting  the  importation 
of  slaves  into  any  part  of  the  country  within  the  juris- 
diction of  the  United  States  after  January  1,  1808. 


EMBARGO   ACT   AX  I)   WAk   ()\^'    1812       73 

Considering  the  fierceness  ul  partisan  strife  at  this 
period,  the  new  Governor's  references  to  national  topics 
in  his  inaugural  address  may  be  considered  temperate. 
Referring  to  the  war,  he  said:  "It  was  declared  under 
circumstances  which  forcibly  induced  a  great  proportion 
of  the  people  to  consider  it  at  least  doubtful,  as  to  its 
necessity,  expedience  or  justice.  And  its  continuance 
has  become  still  more  so,  since  the  removal  of  the  Orders 
in  Council,  the  principal  alleged  cause  of  it."  The  sub- 
ject of  the  impressment  of  seamen,  he  thought,  had 
never  been  considered  a  sufficient  cause  of  war  by  either 
of  the  preceding  administrations,  and  he  did  not  be- 
lieve it  ought  "now  to  be  considered  an  insuperable 
obstacle  to  a  fair  and  honorable  peace,  or  an  adequate 
cause  for  a  protracted,  expensive  and  destructive  war." 
In  his  opinion  "the  conquest  of  the  Canadas,  of  which 
so  much  has  been  said,  if  desirable  under  any  circum- 
stances, must  be  considered  a  poor  compensation  for  the 
sacrifices  which  are  and  must  necessarily  be  made." 

The  reply  to  the  Governor's  speech,  drafted  in  sym- 
pathy with  his  ideas,  was  adopted  in  the  House  by  a 
vote  of  96  to  89,  but  seventy-nine  members  entered  a 
protest,  condemning  the  political  references  in  the  ad- 
dress. Dtiring  the  legislative  session  several  acts  were 
passed  repealing  some  of  the  war  legislation  of  the  pre- 
vious session,  among  them  the  law  to  prevent  inter- 
course with  enemies  on  the  northern  frontiers.  The 
measure  repealed  was  very  drastic,  its  enforcement  was 
attended  with  difficulty,  it  was  considered  unconstitu- 
tional by  many  and  the  repealing  act  passed  the  House 


74  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

by  a  vote  of  159  to  19,  many  of  the  war  party  support- 
ing it. 

During  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain,  as  in  the 
War  of  the  Revokition,  the  invasion  of  Canada  was  pop- 
ularly considered  as  an  effective  method  of  offensive  war- 
fare. The  Government  having  decided  in  1813  to 
assume  the  offensive,  Burlington  was  made  the  base  of 
operations  against  Canada.  Before  winter  the  main 
building  of  the  University  of  Vermont  was  taken  over 
by  the  military  authorities  as  barracks,  and  filled  with 
soldiers. 

A  report  having  been  received  to  the  effect  that  two 
British  sloops  and  five  gunboats  were  in  American 
waters,  Macdonough  sailed  north  from  Burlington 
September  8,  and  offered  battle,  but  the  British  fleet  re- 
tired from  the  lake.  The  American  naval  force  in  Lake 
Champlain  at  this  time  consisted  of  The  President,  12 
guns;  Commodore  Preble,  11  guns;  Montgomery,  11 
guns;  Prances,  6  guns;  two  gunboats,  each  of  which 
carried  an  18-pounder;  and  six  scows,  each  of  which  was 
armed  with  a  12-pounder. 

It  was  announced  in  a  newspaper  on  September  17 
that  the  army  stationed  at  Burlington  had  moved  north 
as  far  as  Cumberland  Plead,  and  Macdonough's  fleet 
was  stationed  at  Gravelly  Point,  north  of  the  army. 
The  plan  of  campaign  against  Montreal  included  in  the 
attacking  force  the  troops  which  had  been  stationed  at 
Burlington,  and  Vermont  soldiers  of  the  Eleventh  U.  S. 
Infantry  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  N.  Y. 

While  Hampton  was  encamped  at  Chateaugay,  Col. 
Isaac  Clark,  in  command  at  Champlain,  was  ordered  to 


EMBAR(X)   ACT   AND   WAR   OK    1812       75 


commence  "a  pclly  war,"  or  make  a  diversion  on  the 
border.  It  was  also  intended  to  break  up  the  tratlic 
which  was  carried  on  in  violation  of  the  act  forbiddinir 
trading  with  the  enemy.  With  one  hundred  and  ten 
men  he  left  Champlain  on  the  evening  of  October  11 
and  crossed  to  the  village  of  Missisquoi  Bay,  Que. 
(Philipsburg),  where  a  small  British  force  under  Major 
Powell  was  stationed.  Advancing  in  double  quick  time, 
Clark  ordered  the  British  soldiers,  hastily  drawn  up 
near  the  guard  house,  to  lay  down  their  arms.  Taken 
by  surprise,  and  believing  from  Clark's  boldness  that 
he  was  supported  by  a  large  force,  Major  Powell  obeyed 
the  summons.  The  main  body  of  the  enemy,  however, 
did  not  yield,  and  prepared  to  charge ;  but  a  well  directed 
volley  from  the  x\mericans  cut  down  the  Captain  and 
several  soldiers,  whereupon  the  rest  threw  down  their 
arms  and  surrendered. 

Captain  Finch  was  directed  to  keep  on  the  lookout 
for  a  body  of  two  hundred  of  the  enemy  under  Colonel 
Lock,  which  was  reported  to  be  approaching.  An  ad- 
vance guard  of  cavalry  was  surprised  and  the  remainder 
retreated.  The  British  loss  was  nine  killed  and  fourteen 
wounded.  Clark  took  his  prisoners,  numbering  one 
hundred  and  one  men,  to  Burlington,  from  which  place 
they  were  sent  to  Greenbush,  N.  Y. 

Early  in  November  Clark  engaged  in  another  foray 
and  took  ninety  head  of  cattle  which  had  been  driven 
across  the  line.  Hampton's  offensive  against  Canada 
having  proved  a  failure.  General  Wilkinson  planned 
an  attack  on  Kingston,  and  in  the  battle  of  Chrystler's 


76  HISTORY  OK  VERMONT 

Farm,  several  Vermonters  were  wounded  or  reported  as 
missing. 

A  force  of  four  hundred  British  under  Captain  Pring, 
in  six  large  galleys,  landed  at  Rouses  Point,  N.  Y.,  on 
December  4,  and  burned  an  empty  storehouse.  Seeing 
the  smoke  of  the  burning  building,  Macdonough's  fleet 
started  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  Four  galleys  under 
the  command  of  Lieut.  Stephen  Cassin  were  directed  to 
bring  Pring's  ships  into  action,  if  possible,  thus  allow- 
ing the  sloops  to  come  up.  The  British  refused  battle, 
however,  their  superior  number  of  sweeps  enabling  them 
to  keep  the  lead.  After  following  the  retreating  foe  for 
three  hours  the  pursuit  was  abandoned.  A  little  later, 
on  December  21,  the  American  fleet  went  into  winter 
quarters  at  Vergennes,  on  the  Otter  Creek. 

Soon  after  General  Plampton's  departure  from  Bur- 
lington, in  September,  Gen.  Thomas  Parker  of  Virginia 
arrived,  and  a  little  later  Gen.  Alexander  Macomb  was 
assigned  to  the  command  at  that  place,  arriving  about 
the  middle  of  February,  1814. 

After  the  Canadian  campaign,  the  Ninth,  Eleventh, 
Twenty-first  and  Twenty-fifth  Regiments  were  ordered 
to  Burlington  from  Plattsburg,  and  the  Third  Brigade 
of  the  Third  Division  of  the  Vermont  militia  under 
Colonel  Fassett  was  called  out,  being  reviewed  at  Bur- 
lington by  Gov.  Martin  Chittenden. 

A  British  force  of  Frontier  Light  Infantry  com- 
manded by  Captain  Barker  crossed  the  boundary  line 
at  Derby  at  daybreak  on  December  27,  1813,  and  de- 
stroyed barracks  for  one  thousand,  two  hundred  men, 
latelv  erected,  stables,   storehouses  and  a  considerable 


I'.Mr.AKC.O    ACT    AXI)    WAR    (  )l'     IXIJ       77 

(|uanlily  of  iiiililary  siurcs.  After  the  raid  a  force  oi 
I  wo  hundred  American  troops  was  sent  to  Derby. 

Recruiting  stations  were  opened  at  Barnard's  Tavern 
in  Burlington  and  at  Davis'  Tavern  in  Montpelier.  To 
every  able  bodied  man  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and 
forty-five  years,  who  would  enlist  for  five  years,  or  dur- 
ing the  war,  a  bounty  of  one  hundred  and  tw^enty-four 
dollars  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  was 
ofifered. 

Nathan  B.  Has  well  was  acting  commissary  at  Bur- 
lington, and  he  gave  up  his  business  building  in  the  vil- 
lage for  an  army  storehouse.  The  cellar  was  trans- 
formed into  a  great  vat  with  a  capacity  of  three  hundred 
barrels,  where  beef  was  salted  for  the  use  of  the  troops. 
According  to  Mr.  Haswell  the  army  rations  at  that 
time  consisted  of  a  pound  and  a  half  of  beef,  or  three- 
c|uarters  of  a  pound  of  pork,  eighteen  ounces  of  bread 
or  flour,  a  gill  of  rum,  whiskey,  or  brandy;  with  two 
quarts  of  salt,  four  quarts  of  vinegar,  four  pounds  of 
soap,  and  a  pound  and  a  half  of  candles  for  each  one 
hundred  rations. 

Regarding  the  heavy  mortality  among  the  troops  at 
Burlington  Mr.  Haswell  said:  "Several  hundred  died 
weekly,  and  it  was  not  uncommon  to  find  that  twenty 
had  died  in  the  night."  Many  of  the  dead  were  buried 
in  a  field  north  of  the  Battery,  known  for  many  years 
as  the  "Soldiers'  Burial  Ground."  As  a  result  of  sick- 
ness in  the  camp  near  the  Battery,  a  new  camp  was 
established  on  the  pine  plains  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
town,  now  South  Burlington,  and  south  of  the  main 
road  to  Williston.     The  official  reports  of  the  General 


78  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Hospital  at  Burlington,  made  by  the  Surgeon  in  charge, 
Dr.  James  Mann,  do  not  corroborate  the  statement  made 
by  Mr.  Haswell  concerning  the  number  of  deaths.  The 
report  for  the  iirst  four  months  of  1813  was  as  follows: 

Sick  Deaths 

January   180  7 

February 631  17 

March    930  29 

April    690  21 

The  sick  and  convalescent  in  the  hospital  on  April  30, 
numbered  one  hundred  and  sixty-one.  A  later  report 
shows  seventeen  deaths  in  May,  six  in  June  and  one  in 
July,  but  there  were  several  hundred  cases  of  illness 
during  this  period. 

Notwithstanding  the  vigilance  of  the  customs  officers, 
the  amount  of  smuggling  during  the  war  was  enormous. 
It  was  difficult  for  the  British  army  in  Canada  to  secure 
provisions  and  commissioners  often  came  secretly  over 
the  Vermont  border  paying  high  prices  for  cattle  to  be 
driven  across  the  boundary  line.  It  the  fall  of  1813  a 
drove  of  fat  oxen,  purchased  in  the  Connecticut  River 
valley,  principally  in  New  Hampshire,  ostensibly  for  the 
use  of  the  American  troops  at  Burlington  and  Platts- 
burg,  were  driven  toward  Canada.  Government  officers 
pursued  the  drovers  and  the  herd  was  overtaken  and 
placed  in  a  yard  at  Johnson.  During  the  night  it  was 
reported  that  a  mob  was  coming  to  seize  the  cattle.  An 
immediate  call  was  sent  out  for  the  militia  and  sentinels 
were  stationed.  Just  before  daybreak  about  seventy 
men  approached,  armed  with  clubs  and  pitchforks,  but 
discovering  the  strength  of  the  militia  they  dispersed 


iCMliAR(;()   ACT   AXI)   WAR   Ol-    ISIJ       71) 

(juickly.  The  oxen  were  driven  lu  Burlinglcjn.  Later 
il  was  learned  that  many  teams  were  on  the  road,  laden 
with  dry  goods,  going  from  Montreal  to  Boston.  Sum- 
moning assistance,  the  officers  encountered  fourteen 
men,  who  were  disposed  to  fight.  Two  or  three  smug- 
glers were  severely  wounded  and  the  whole  party  was 
captured. 

Goods  were  seized  which  cost  the  owners,  it  is  said, 
thirteen  thousand  dollars.  Cattle  were  driven  on  back 
roads  and  through  the  woods.  Smugglers'  Notch,  at 
the  base  of  Mt.  Mansfield,  derives  its  name  from  the  fact 
that  through  this  wild  and  picturesque  mountain  pass, 
cattle  were  driven,  destined  for  Canada,  and  by  this 
route  goods  were  brought  for  New  England  merchants. 
Thus  the  distance  was  shortened  and  the  road  or  trail, 
for  a  considerable  distance,  lay  through  an  unbroken 
forest,  where  revenue  officers  were  not  likely  to  be  met. 

During  the  spring  of  1814  the  State  newspapers  were 
filled  with  notices  of  information  filed  by  the  United 
States  District  Attorney  against  goods  seized,  including 
cattle,  horses,  provisions,  merchandise,  furs,  and  other 
articles.  While  the  seizures  were  made  chiefly  in  towns 
on  or  near  the  international  boundary,  mention  is  made 
of  Colchester,  Burlington,  Charlotte,  Richmond,  Bristol, 
New  Haven,  Windsor  and  Weathersfield.  A  letter 
from  Commandant  Macdonough  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  dated  June  29,  1814,  tells  of  receiving  informa- 
tion that  two  spars,  intended  for  the  masts  of  a  British 
ship  under  constrtiction  at  Isle  aux  Noix,  were  on  the 
way  to  Canada.  An  officer  sent  to  investigate,  reported 
that  near  the  boundary  line  he  seized  and  destroyed  two 


80  I  lISTOR^^  OF  VERMONT 

spars,  one  eighty,  the  other  eighty- five  feet  long.  The 
persons  towing  the  masts  made  their  escape.  Another 
communication  from  Macdonough  reported  that  on  July 
7  Midshipman  Abbott  destroyed  four  spars,  four  miles 
beyond  the  Canadian  border.  One  was  supposed  to  be 
a  mainmast  and  the  others  were  topmasts  for  a  British 
ship.  The  Plattshiirg  Republican  in  an  issue  printed  in 
the  latter  part  of  July,  1814,  told  of  the  capture  by  two 
American  gunboats  of  a  raft,  consisting  of  plank  and 
spars,  valued  at  a  sum  between  five  and  six  thousand 
dollars,  and  twenty-seven  barrels  of  tar.  A  crew  of 
several  Americans  was  taking  the  cargo  to  the  enemy. 
The  reputed  owner  was  a  prominent  Vermont  business 
man. 

A  band  of  smugglers  attacked  a  party  of  customs 
officers,  at  Georgia,  on  July  23,  1814.  In  attempting  to 
escape  from  an  officer,  on  another  occasion,  a  smuggler 
was  shot  and  killed.  The  Burlington  Sentinel  reported 
that  on  August  26,  1814,  Judge  Adams,  Collector  of 
Internal  Revenue,  was  seized  at  Alburg  by  a  British 
Lieutenant  and  twelve  men,  who  took  from  him  about 
one  thousand  dollars,  of  which  sum  he  had  collected 
seven  hundred  dollars.  As  late  as  January  12,  1816, 
mention  is  made  of  a  seizure  at  or  near  La  Prairie,  Que., 
of  fifty-five  kegs  of  tobacco.  This  comment  is  made: 
"The  infamous  practice  of  smuggling  is  now  carried  to 
such  an  alarming  pitch  as  to  destroy  the  prospects  of 
every  fair  dealer." 

Sir  George  Prevost,  Governor  General  of  Canada,  in 
writing  to  Lord  Bathurst  of  the  British  Foreign  Office, 
August  27,  1814,  reported  that  "two-thirds  of  the  army 


EMBARGO   ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      81 

in  Canada  arc  at  this  niunicnl  eating  1)eef  provided  by 
American  contractors,  drawn  principally  from  the 
States  of  Vermont  and  New  York."  General  Izard  of 
the  American  army  informed  Secretary  of  War  Arm- 
strong that  only  a  cordon  of  troops  from  French  Mills 
to  Lake  Memphremagog  could  stop  intercourse  with  the 
enemy  and  that  in  Vermont  the  roads  were  too  narrow 
and  too  few  to  permit  the  passage  of  the  cattle  driven 
into  Canada.  In  his  rei)ort  he  says:  ''Like  herds  of 
buffaloes  they  press  through  the  forests,  making  paths 
for  themselves.  Were  it  not  for  these  supplies,  the 
British  forces  in  Canada  would  soon  be  suffering  from 
famine,  or  their  Government  be  subjected  to  enormous 
expense  for  their  maintenance."  These  are  not  agree- 
able facts  to  relate,  but  a  true  record  must  chronicle 
events  as  they  occurred,  whether  agreeable  or  dis- 
agreeable. 

When  General  Izard  had  been  withdrawn  from  Platts- 
burg  by  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War  to  join  General 
Wilkinson,  the  Third  Brigade  of  the  Third  Division  of 
the  Vermont  militia,  under  Lieut.  Col.  Luther  Dixon, 
was  sent  across  the  lake  to  take  the  place,  in  part,  of 
the  regulars  ordered  away. 

Governor  Chittenden  issued  a  proclamation  on 
November  10,  181v3,  ordering  these  troops  to  return  to 
the  State,  and  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  act 
under  the  orders  of  Gen,  Jacob  Davis,  claiming  that  "an 
extensive  section  of  our  own  frontier  is  left  unprotected," 
and  that  the  citizens  were  "exposed  to  the  retaliatory 
incursions  and  ravages  of  an  exasperated  enemy."  He 
closed  the  proclamation  by  declaring  that  in  his  opinion 


82  f  I ISTOR Y  OF  VERMONT 

"the  military  strength  and  resources  of  this  State  must 
be  reserved  for  its  own  defence  and  protection  exclu- 
sively excepting  in  cases  provided  for  by  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  U.  States;  and  then,  under  orders  derived 
only  from  the  Commander-in-chief." 

Colonel  Dixon  and  seventeen  of  his  officers  replied  in 
a  vigorous  statement,  written  by  Capt.  Sanford  Gad- 
comb  of  St.  Albans,  which  was,  in  part,  as  follows: 
"With  due  deference  to  your  Excellency's  opinion,  we 
humbly  conceive,  that  when  we  are  ordered  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  it  becomes  our  duty,  when 
required,  to  march  to  the  defence  of  any  section  of  the 
Union.  We  arc  not  of  that  class  who  believe  that  our 
duties  as  citizens  or  soldiers  are  circumscribed  within 
the  narrow  limits  of  the  Town  or  State  in  which  we 
reside,  but  that  we  are  under  a  paramount  obligation  to 
our  common  country,  to  the  great  confederation  of 
vStates.  We  further  conceive  that,  vvhile  we  are  in 
actual  service,  and  during  the  period  for  which  we  were 
ordered  into  service,  your  Excellency's  power  over  us 
as  Governor  of  the  State  of  Vermont,  is  suspended. 
*  *  *  Viewing  the  subject  in  this  light,  we  conceive 
it  our  duty  to  declare  unequivocally  to  your  Excellency, 
that  we  shall  not  obey  your  Excellency's  order  for  re- 
turning, but  shall  continue  in  the  service  of  our  country 
until  we  are  legally  and  honorably  discharged.  An  in- 
vitation or  order  to  desert  the  standard  of  our  country 
will  never  be  obeyed  by  us,  although  it  proceeds  from 
the  Governor  and  Captain  General  of  \'ermont.    *    *    * 

"We  shall  take  the  liberty  to  state  to  your  Excellency, 
plainly,  our  sentiments  on  this  subject.     We  consider 


EMBARCiO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1S12       83 

your  proclainatiun  as  a  gross  insult  to  the  officers  and 
soldiers  in  the  service,  inasmuch  as  it  implies  that  they 
are  so  ignorant  of  their  rights  as  to  believe  that  you 
have  authority  to  command  them  in  their  ])resent  situa- 
tion, or  so  abandoned  as  to  follow  your  insidious  advice. 
We  cannot  regard  your  i)roclamation  in  any  other  light, 
than  as  an  unwarrantable  stretch  of  executive  authority, 
issued  from  the  worst  motives,  to  effect  the  basest  pur- 
poses. It  is  in  our  opinion  a  renewed  instance  of  that 
spirit  of  disorganization  and  anarchy  which  is  carried 
on  by  a  faction  to  overwhelm  our  country  with  dis- 
grace. We  cannot  perceive  \\hat  other  object  your 
Excellency  could  have  in  view  than  to  embarrass  the 
operations  of  the  army,  to  excite  mutiny  and  sedition 
among  the  soldiers  and  induce  them  to  desert,  that  they 
might  forfeit  the  wages  to  which  they  are  entitled  for 
their  patriotic  services."  The  statement  added  that  even 
the  soldiers  regarded  the  Governor's  proclamation  ''with 
mingled  emotions  of  pity  and  contempt  for  its  author, 
and  as  a  striking  monument  of  his  folly." 

It  is  said  that  the  messenger  sent  to  Plattsburg  by 
Governor  Chittenden  to  deliver  this  proclamation  was 
helped  in  ignominious  fashion  out  of  camp.  The 
brigade  remained  at  Plattsburg  until  it  w^as  known  that 
the  threatened  invasion  from  Canada  had  been  aban- 
doned for  the  winter. 

Governor  Chittenden's  proclamation  was  denounced 
in  Congress  by  Congressman  Sharp  of  Kentucky,  who 
offered  the  following  resolutions: 

"Resolved,  That  the  militia  of  these  United  States,  or 
the  Territories  thereof,  when  lawfully  employed  in  the 


84  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

service  of  the  United  States,  are  subject  to  the  same 
rules  and  articles  as  the  troops  of  the  United  States. 

"Resolved,  That  every  person  not  subject  to  the  rules 
and  articles  of  war,  who  shall  procure  or  entice  a  soldier 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States  to  desert,  is  guilty  of 
an  infraction  of  the  laws  of  the  United  States  and  sub- 
ject to  punishment. 

"Resolved,  That  His  Excellency  Martin  Chittenden, 
Governor  of  the  State  of  Vermont,  by  issuing  his  proc- 
lamation, dated  at  Montpelier,  on  the  10th  day  of 
November,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1813,  did  entice  sol- 
diers in  the  service  of  the  United  States  to  desert. 
Therefore, 

"Resolved,  'J'hat  the  President  of  the  United  States 
be,  and  he  is  hereby,  requested  to  instruct  the  Attorney 
General  of  the  United  States  to  institute  a  prosecution 
against  said  Martin  Chittenden." 

Congressman  Fisk  of  Vermont  expressed  his  regret 
that  these  resolutions  had  been  ofifered.  He  admitted 
that  Governor  Chittenden's  act  was  unjustifiable,  de- 
clared that  none  of  the  Vermont  delegation  and  very 
few  of  the  people  of  Vermont  approved  it,  but  thought  it 
was  not  the  duty  of  Congress  to  act  the  part  of  informer 
against  the  Governor  of  a  State.  He  therefore  moved 
that  the  resolutions  lie  on  the  table.  After  some  fur- 
ther discussion  the  subject  was  dropped  and  the  resolu- 
tions were  not  further  considered.  While  these  resolu- 
tions were  pending  in  Congress  a  resolution  offered  in 
the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  protested  against  such 
an  indignitv  to  a  State  and  its  Governor  and  declared 
that  when  Vermont  re(|ucsted  aid  Massachusetts  would 


EMBARGO   ACT   AXD   WAR   OF    1812      85 

"make  provision  by  law  for  effectual  support."  It  was 
not  actually  passed  because  Congress  did  not  attempt  to 
discipline  Vermont's  Governor,  but  its  warning  was 
significant. 

Late  in  December,  fearing  once  more  that  an  attack 
from  Canada  was  being  planned,  the  Plattsburg  town 
officials  wrote  to  General  Wilkinson,  setting  forth  the 
exposed  condition  of  public  property  there,  and  the  need 
of  more  troops.  In  response  to  this  appeal  a  company 
of  dragoons  from  Burlington  and  a  detachment  of  infan- 
try from  Chateaugay  Four  Corners  were  ordered  there, 
the  infantry  reaching  Plattsburg  January  8,  1814,  after 
a  forced  march  of  forty  miles,  made  in  one  day.  On 
January  10  General  Wilkinson  arrived  at  that  place. 

The  results  of  the  land  campaign  were  not  such  as  to 
add  to  the  prestige  of  American  arms,  and  Hampton 
and  Wilkinson  laid  upon  each  other  the  blame  for  failure 
to  make  any  substantial  progress. 

Early  in  March,  1814,  Major  Forsyth  was  sent  to  the 
border  with  three  hundred  American  riflemen  and  sixty 
dragoons  to  break  up  an  irregular  intercourse  that  had 
been  carried  on  with  the  British  troops  during  the 
winter.  Parties  under  General  Macomb  and  Colonel 
Clark  were  sent  to  the  Vermont  frontier  on  a  similar 
errand,  while  General  Wilkinson  planned  to  erect  bat- 
teries in  the  vicinity  of  Rouses  Point  that  should  com- 
mand the  outlet  of  the  lake.  Colonel  Clark  advanced 
within  six  miles  of  Isle  aux  Noix,  captured  the  enemy's 
advanced  guard,  took  sixty  stands  of  arms  and  a  quan- 
tity of  ammunition,  and  returned  to  Missisquoi   Bay. 


86  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

Orders  were  issued  that  private  property  must  be 
respected. 

Alarmed  by  the  American  activity  the  British  com- 
mander sent  six  hundred  men  under  Major  Hancock  to 
Lacolle,  Que.,  and  two  thousand  troops  were  ordered 
to  St.  Johns  and  Isle  aux  Noix  under  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Williams.  General  Wilkinson  ordered  the  Plattsburg 
garrison  to  advance  to  Champlain,  and  Macomb  and 
Clark  were  directed  to  join  the  main  body  of  the  Ameri- 
can troops  there. 

On  the  morning  of  March  30  the  American  army, 
four  thousand  strong,  advanced  for  an  attack  upon 
Lacolle.  Fallen  trees  and  snowdrifts  made  the  roads 
almost  impassable  for  artillery.  Major  Hancock 
occupied  a  stone  mill,  which  had  been  pierced  with  open- 
ings for  muskets.  The  American  artillery  fire  was 
without  appreciable  effect.  Two  British  sorties  were 
defeated,  but  Wilkinson's  attack  was  unsuccessful,  and 
he  retired  to  Odelltown,  falling  back  the  next  day  to 
Champlain.  General  Macomb  returned  to  Burlington, 
while  the  main  body  of  the  army  retired  to  Chazy  and 
Plattsburg.  The  American  casualties  on  this  expedi- 
tion amounted  to  one  hundred  and  four  killed  and 
wounded.  The  British  gave  their  losses  as  ten  killed 
and  forty-six  wounded. 

About  the  first  of  May  Generals  Chandler  and  Win- 
chester arrived  in  Burlington  from  Canada  where  they 
had  been  detained  for  some  time  by  the  enemy  as 
hostages. 

An  indication  of  possible  friction  between  soldiers  and 
citizens  is  found  in  a  report  of  a  meeting  of  officers  held 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR  OF    1812      87 

on  May  20,  1814,  which  drew  up  rcsululions  denying-  a 
statement,  said  to  have  been  circulated,  to  the  effect  that 
plans  had  been  made  to  Ijurn  certain  houses  in  the  village 
of  Burlington.  These  resolutions  were  signed  by  Gen. 
Alexander  Macomb  and  sixty-three  other  officers. 

Macdonough  had  chosen  Vergennes  as  his  winter 
quarters  after  careful  deliberation.  He  needed  a  loca- 
tion protected  from  forays  by  the  enemy,  and  accessible 
to  abundant  supplies  of  timber.  Vergennes  was  situated 
at  the  head  of  navigation  on  Otter  Creek,  seven  miles 
from  its  mouth.  The  stream  was  so  narrow  and 
crooked  that  a  hostile  fleet  could  not  hope  to  make  a 
successful  attack.  A  direct  road  led  to  Burlington, 
twenty-one  miles  aw  ay,  where  a  large  body  of  American 
troops  was  stationed.  Another  road  led  to  Boston,  and 
still  another  to  the  south.  Dead  Creek  and  marshes 
protected  Vergennes  from  a  land  attack  from  the  west. 
An  abundance  of  timber  for  shipbuilding  was  available, 
and  iron  could  be  obtained  from  the  neighboring  town  of 
Bristol.  The  industries  of  Vergennes  included  eight 
forges,  a  blast  furnace,  an  air  furnace,  a  rolling  mill,  a 
wire  factory,  and  grist,  saw,  and  fulling  mills.  Before 
the  campaign  of  1814  opened,  one  thousand  32-pound 
cannon  balls  had  been  cast  here  for  the  American  fleet. 

In  an  order  issued  on  January  28,  Macdonough  was 
directed  to  build  about  fifteen  gunboats,  or  a  ship  and 
three  or  four  gunboats,  the  matter  being  left  for  him 
to  decide.  His  instructions  read:  "The  object  is  to 
leave  no  doubt  of  your  commanding  the  lake  and  the 
waters  connected,  and  that  in  due  time.     You  are  there- 


88  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

fore  authorized  to  employ  such  means  and  workmen  as 
shall  render  its  accomplishment  certain." 

Mr.  Browne,  a  New  York  shipbuilder,  had  agreed  to 
launch  a  ship  of  twenty-four  guns  in  sixty  days  and  in 
the  spring  of  1814  the  work  of  constructing  several  ves- 
sels was  begun  in  earnest.  In  five  and  one-half  days 
one  hundred  and  ten  men  had  cut  and  forwarded  timber 
for  three  ships.  The  trees  were  standing  in  the  forest 
on  March  2.  The  Saratoga  s  keel  was  laid  on  March  7, 
and  on  April  11  she  was  launched,  forty  days  from  the 
time  her  timbers  stood  as  growing  trees  on  a  Vermont 
hillside. 

While  the  ships  were  being  built  at  Vergennes,  Gen- 
eral Wilkinson  was  apprehensive  of  a  British  attack 
upon  Plattsburg,  Burlington,  and  Vergennes,  and  on 
April  9  he  ordered  General  Macomb,  who  was  stationed 
at  Burlington,  to  request  Governor  Chittenden  to  call 
out  the  Vermont  militia,  not  only  to  protect  the  shipping 
on  Otter  Creek,  but  to  reinforce  Macomb's  army.  The 
Governor  immediately  complied  with  the  request,  send- 
ing one  thousand  men  to  Vergennes  and  five  hundred  to 
Burlington,  these  troops  being  militia  from  Addison, 
Chittenden  and  Franklin  counties.  Wilkinson  feared 
that  the  enemy  would  seize  some  of  the  lake  craft,  load 
them  with  stones,  and  sink  them  at  the  mouth  of  Otter 
Creek,  thus  bottling  up  Macdonough's  fleet.  To  guard 
against  this  contingency  the  American  naval  commander 
erected  a  battery  at  the  mouth  of  the  stream  which,  at  a 
later  period,  was  called  Fort  Cassin. 

Between  April  16  and  April  20  Governor  Chittenden 
and   General   Wilkinson   visited   Macdonough   at   Ver- 


EMBARGO  ACT  AND  WAR  OF   1812      89 

gennt's  to  consider  measures  for  the  protection  of  the 
new  fleet.  The  site  for  the  battery  was  selected  by  Wil- 
kinson and  Macdonough.  On  April  22,  five  hundred 
soldiers  having  arrived  at  V'ergennes  from  Plattsburg, 
Governor  Chittenden  discharged  all  the  W^rmont  militia 
but  Capt.  William  C.  Munson's  Panton  company,  with 
orders  to  turn  out  upon  hearing  the  alarm  signal  of  three 
heavy  guns. 

As  early  as  April  2  the  northern  end  of  the  lake 
was  free  from  ice  and  on  that  day  several  British  ves- 
sels anchored  near  Rouses  Point.  Capt.  Daniel  Pring 
entered  the  lake  on  May  9  with  the  new  16-gun  brig 
Linnet,  five  sloops  and  thirteen  galleys.  The  next  day 
the  British  fleet  anchored  in  the  shelter  of  Providence 
Island,  near  the  southern  end  of  South  Hero.  The  pres- 
ence of  this  flotilla  caused  the  greatest  excitement  in  all 
the  Champlain  valley.  During  the  night  of  May  10  the 
Selectmen  of  the  lake  towns  worked  until  morning  run- 
ning bullets,  and  the  militia  was  called  out.  Gen. 
George  Izard,  commanding  the  American  forces  at 
Plattsburg.  had  notified  General  Macomb  at  Burlington 
on  May  10  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  Late  that 
night  Macomb  dispatched  a  messenger  to  Vergennes  and 
Captain  Thornton,  with  a  force  of  fifty  light  artillery- 
men, was  sent  in  haste  in  wagons  from  Burlington  to 
Vergennes  to  operate  the  battery.  Macdonough  had 
mounted  seven  12-pounders  on  ship  carriages  at  the 
mouth  of  Otter  Creek.  Lieutenant  Cassin,  a  detach- 
ment of  sailors,  and  a  body  of  soldiers  under  Colonel 
Davis,  were  posted  in  a  manner  best  calculated  to  pre- 
vent a  landing  by  the  enemy. 


90  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Pring's  fleet  appeared  off  Burlington  on  April  12,  was 
sighted  off  Essex,  N.  Y.,  the  afternoon  of  April  13, 
and  very  early  on  the  morning  of  April  14  appeared  off 
the  mouth  of  Otter  Creek.  Approaching  within  two 
and  one-half  miles  of  the  battery,  the  enemy  opened  fire, 
the  engagement  lasting  an  hour  and  a  half.  Many 
shells  lodged  in  the  parapet  of  Fort  Cassin,  one  gun  was 
dismounted,  and  two  men  were  slightly  injured.  Sev- 
eral British  galleys  were  damaged,  and  two  large  row- 
boats,  shot  adrift  during  the  action,  were  picked  up  by 
the  Americans.  Strenuous  efforts  were  made  to  bring 
several  of  the  new  ships  down  the  tortuous  course  of 
Otter  Creek  in  time  for  use  against  the  enemy  but  the 
foe  had  departed  before  this  was  effected.  Pring  drew 
his  fleet  off  to  the  northward,  having  been  unable  to  in- 
flict any  damage  upon  Macdonough's  flotilla. 

There  had  been  great  difficulty  in  securing  the  neces- 
sary equipment  for  the  American  fleet.  Rodney  Mac- 
donough,  in  his  ''Life  of  Thomas  Macdonough,"  says: 
"When  the  Saratoga  was  launched  neither  her  guns, 
anchors,  cables  nor  rigging  had  been  received.  The 
roads  were  so  bad  that  the  heavy  loading  of  transport 
wagons  was  impossible.  It  took  eighty  teams  to  carry 
one  consignment  of  naval  stores  from  Troy  to  Ver- 
gennes,  and  then  three  large  cables  were  left  behind. 
A  large  quantity  of  shot  was  brought  from  Boston." 
There  was  also  a  shortage  of  men  for  the  vessels,  and 
about  the  middle  of  April  General  Macomb  sent  four 
hundred  Vermont  soldiers  to  Macdonough  at  Vergennes. 

One  of  the  vessels,  the  Ticondcroga,  originally  had 
been  designed  for  a  steamboat.     As  it  was  not  consid- 


The  Vermont  Flag 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF   1812       91 

ered  wise  to  attempt  to  propel  a  warship  by  steam,  she 
was  rigged  as  a  schooner.  On  May  26  Macdonough 
entered  the  lake  with  his  flagship  Saratoga,  twenty-six 
guns ;  the  schooner  Ticonderoga,  sixteen  guns ;  the  sloop 
Preble,  nine  guns;  and  six  gunboats,  armed  with  two 
guns  each.  Afterward  the  fleet  was  augmented  by  the 
addition  of  the  sloop  Presidoit,  ten  guns;  the  sloop 
Montgomery,  six  guns ;  and  five  gunboats  with  one  gun 
each.  These  gunboats  were  seventy-five  feet  long, 
fifteen  feet  wide,  and  could  be  rowed  by  forty  oarsmen. 

Proceeding  to  Plattsburg,  where  Macdonough  arrived 
on  May  29,  he  was  requested  to  protect  the  transports 
which  were  removing  troops  and  stores  from  Burlington 
to  that  place,  General  Izard  having  decided  to  encamp 
near  the  Canadian  border.  During  the  summer  the 
American  fleet  guarded  the  mouth  of  the  Richelieu  to 
prevent  the  British  ships  from  entering  the  lake. 
Admiral  Mahan  has  said:  "Macdonough's  superiority 
during  the  three  summer  months  gave  the  Americans 
unmolested  use  of  the  lake  for  the  transport  of  troops, — 
almost  wholly  militia, — of  stores,  and  of  all  things  avail- 
able for  the  land  defense  of  Plattsburg." 

Fearing  that  Macdonough's  squadron  was  sufficiently 
strong  to  give  him  the  mastery  of  the  lake,  the  British 
prepared  in  June  to  build  a  vessel  at  Isle  aux  Noix  that 
at  least  should  match  the  Saratoga  and  on  August  25  the 
frigate  Confiance,  carrying  thirty-seven  guns,  was 
launched. 

Meanwhile  the  American  fleet  was  strengthened  by 
building  another  brig  at  Vergennes.  The  keel  of  the 
Eagle  was  laid  on  July  23,  she  was  launched  August  11, 


92  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

and  on  August  27  she  joined  the  American  fleet  anchored 
off  Chazy.  Her  armament  consisted  of  twenty  guns. 
Former  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy  Charles  H. 
Darling,  in  writing  of  Macdonough's  fleet,  has  said  that 
''the  Eagle  was  substantially  of  the  same  size  as  Perry's 
flagships  Lawrence  and  Niagara  on  Lake  Erie,  while  the 
Saratoga  was  much  superior  to  Perry's  largest  vessel. 
The  time  in  which  Perry  built  his  ships  has  often  been 
mentioned  in  praise  and  wonder,  but  Macdonough's 
ships  were  not  only  of  larger  tonnage  but  were  built  and 
completed  in  a  shorter  time." 

During  the  latter  part  of  June  the  American  army  ad- 
vanced from  Plattsburg  to  Champlain  and  Chazy,  N.  Y., 
the  British  having  concentrated  their  troops  at  Lacolle, 
Que.,  and  other  points  near  the  line.  Macdonough 
anchored  his  fleet  in  King's  Bay,  north  of  the  mouth  of 
Big  Chazy  River. 

Lieut.  Col.  Benjamin  Forsyth,  called  the  best  partisan 
leader  in  the  American  army,  having  led  a  scouting  party 
across  the  boundary  line,  with  the  intention  of  drawing 
the  enemy  into  an  ambuscade,  was  shot  by  an  Indian 
and  killed.  He  was  succeeded  by  Maj.  Orsamus  C.  Mer- 
rill of  Bennington,  and  Major  Merrill's  successor  was 
Capt.  Zachary  Taylor,  afterward  one  of  the  famous  com- 
manders of  the  Mexican  War,  and  President  of  the 
United  States.  Some  Vermonters  were  engaged  in 
the  battles  of  Lundy's  Lane  and  Fort  Erie. 

During  the  evening  of  August  16,  1814,  Lieutenant 
Drury  of  the  American  Navy  landed  at  Isle  La  Motte 
and  proceeded  to  the  inn  of  Caleb  Hill,  who  was  an 
Assistant  Judge  of  Grand  Isle  County  Court.     The  men 


EMBARGO  ACT   AND  WAR  OF   1812      93 

called  for  rum  and  supposing  that  they  were  part  of  a 
British  detachment,  Judge  Hill  and  one  of  his  sons 
armed  themselves,  levelled  their  pieces  and  demanded 
that  the  men  surrender.  Drury  parried  a  gun  with  his 
sword,  and  several  of  the  sailors  fired  at  the  Judge.  One 
ball  passed  through  his  head  and  another  through  his 
body,  killing  him. 

The  military  situation  along  the  northern  frontier,  as 
the  summer  of  1814  drew  to  a  close,  was  indeed  a  serious 
one.  As  a  result  of  Napoleon's  overthrow,  it  had  been 
possible  to  send  to  Canada  fifteen  thousand  troops,  most 
of  them  Wellington's  veterans.  Lieut.  Gen.  Sir  George 
Prevost  now  had  under  his  command  in  Canada  more 
than  thirty  thousand  troops.  All  of  these,  with  the 
exception  of  two  thousand  provincials,  were  regulars 
and  veterans  of  the  European  wars.  A  British  force  of 
fourteen  thousand  men  was  concentrated  at  Isle  aux 
Noix.  The  American  force  was  greatly  inferior,  but  in 
spite  of  this  fact,  the  Secretary  of  War  ordered  General 
Izard  to  march  four  thousand  troops  to  the  Niagara 
frontier.  Izard  obeyed,  like  a  good  soldier;  but  he 
warned  his  chief  that  the  enemy  on  his  front  was  greatly 
superior  to  the  American  force,  that  an  attack  w^as  hourly 
expected,  and  that  everything  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Champlain  frontier  with  the  exception  of  the  works  at 
Plattsburg  and  Cumberland  Head  would  be  in  the 
possession  of  the  British  troops  in  less  than  three  days 
after  his  departure.  General  Izard  withdrew  from 
Champlain  and  Chazy  on  August  29  and  on  August  30 
General  Brisbane  of  the  British  army  took  possession 
of  Champlain.     To  oppose  an  army  of  14,000  of  Wei- 


94  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

lington's  veterans,  General  Macomb  had  3,400  men, 
1,400  of  whom  were  ill.  Of  this  handful  of  2,000  sol- 
diers, only  1,500  were  regulars.  This  force  included 
two  Vermont  regiments,  the  Thirtieth,  under  Colonel 
Fassett,  and  the  Thirty-first,  under  Colonel  Dana. 

Prevost's  plan  in  its  general  features  followed  that  of 
Burgoyne,  carried  into  effect  thirty-seven  years  earlier. 
With  a  strong  naval  force  and  a  superior  army  the  way 
seemed  clear  to  defeat  the  Americans,  gain  possession 
of  Lake  Champlain,  and  drive  a  wedge  deep  into  New 
England  and  New  York.  Arriving  on  American  soil, 
General  Prevost  issued  a  proclamation  from  Champlain, 
N.  Y.,  dated  September  2,  promising  kind  and  generous 
treatment  to  those  persons  who  remained  quietly  at  their 
homes,  not  bearing  arms  or  aiding  hostile  movements. 

Macomb's  first  act  was  to  call  for  reinforcements  from 
New  York  and  Vermont.  In  his  letter  to  Governor 
Chittenden,  dated  at  Plattsburg,  August  31,  he  notified 
him  that  the  enemy  were  advancing  and  suggested  that 
a  detachment  might  be  sent  across  Lake  Champlain,  ad- 
vancing northward  from  Essex,  N.  Y.  Another  letter 
from  Macomb  notified  Vermont's  Governor  that  the 
enemy  was  expected  to  march  toward  Plattsburg  that 
day.  On  the  same  day  Governor  Chittenden  replied 
that  he  would  "take  the  most  effectual  measures  to  fur- 
nish such  number  of  volunteers  as  may  be  induced  to 
turn  out  to  your  assistance." 

The  Governor  immediately  transmitted  a  copy  of  Gen- 
eral Macomb's  letter  to  Gen.  John  Newell  at  Charlotte, 
and  recommended  that  he  take  the  most  effectual  method 
to  procure  as  many  volunteers  as   possible   from   his 


1<:M15ARG0   act   and   war   of    1812       95 

brigade  for  the  immediate  assistance  of  General 
Macomb,  and  that  they  cross  the  lake  at  McNeil's  ferry 
in  Charlotte.  General  Newell  did  not  approve  the  form 
of  the  Governor's  letter,  and  replied  on  the  following 
day,  expressing  regret  that  a  positive  order  had  not  been 
issued,  directing  that  the  militia  be  marched  to  Platts- 
burg.  Governor  Chittenden  did  not  believe  that  he  had 
the  right  to  order  the  \'ermont  militia  out  of  the  State, 
and  it  may  be  that  General  Newell's  reply  reflected  to 
some  extent  the  political  animosities  of  that  period.  The 
Governor  clearly  stated  that  it  was  his  desire  ''that  every 
aid,  constitutionally  in  our  power,  should  be  afiforded" ; 
and  he  expressed  the  belief  that  a  request  for  volunteers 
would  prove  more  effective  than  the  assumption  of  what 
he  considered  unauthorized  power.  Gen.  Samuel  Strong 
of  Vergennes  was  given  command  of  the  Vermont  troops 
and  Governor  Chittenden  gave  him  a  letter  to  General 
Macomb  recommending  him  as  an  old  and  experienced 
officer,  ''in  whose  judgment  and  integrity  the  fullest  con- 
fidence might  be  placed." 

Although  the  methods  of  communication  wxre  slow, 
the  news  of  the  British  advance  spread  with  the  great- 
est rapidity  possible  under  existing  circumstances,  and 
volunteers  in  large  numbers  started  for  Lake  Champlain 
and  Plattsburg.  And  well  they  might  hasten  toward 
Burlington,  as  their  ancestors  rallied  at  Bennington,  for 
their  farms  and  firesides  again  were  in  danger.  The 
whole  State  of  Vermont  was  open  to  attack  by  an  army 
of  veteran  troops  if  Plattsburg  surrendered.  The  peril 
was  so  great  that  political  animosities  might  well  be 
forgotten. 


96  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Men  assembled  at  Burlington  from  various  parts  of 
the  State  without  any  regular  call,  on  hearing  that  the 
British  were  approaching  Plattsburg.  The  earlier  ar- 
rivals crossed  the  lake  in  all  manner  of  craft,  and  were 
able  to  take  part  in  the  battle.  Others  arrived  too  late 
for  the  fighting,  while  the  latest  arrivals  proceeded  no 
further  than  Burlington.  After  freeman's  meeting  at 
St.  Albans,  a  company  of  eighty  men  enlisted,  and 
started  at  once  for  Plattsburg,  going  by  way  of  the 
natural  bar  of  sand,  deposited  by  the  Lamoille  River, 
on  which  in  later  years  the  Sand  Bar  Bridge  was  built, 
connecting  the  towns  of  Milton  and  South  Hero,  the 
latter  being  the  southernmost  town  of  Grand  Isle  county. 
A  fresh  wind  was  blowing  when  the  company  crossed, 
making  the  passage  somewhat  dangerous.  A  company 
from  Georgia  followed  the  same  route,  in  wagons,  ford- 
ing the  lake  by  way  of  the  Sand  Bar.  The  attempt  of 
the  Georgia  company  to  cross  to  South  Hero  was  made 
after  dark.  The  wagons  became  entangled  in  logs  and 
stumps  that  had  drifted  upon  the  bar  of  sand  and  the 
volunteers  were  obliged  to  wade  into  the  water  to  their 
armpits  to  extricate  the  vehicles.  While  engaged  in  this 
task  an  alarm  was  given  that  British  barges  were  ap- 
proaching. The  men  were  ordered  to  halt,  form  as  good 
a  line  as  conditions  would  permit,  load  their  muskets  and 
prepare  to  resist  the  enemy.  It  was  soon  found  that  the 
alarm  was  false  and  the  company  proceeded  to  the  island 
shore  in  safety.  On  the  following  day  the  men  were 
ferried  to  Plattsburg  from  the  west  shore  of  Grand  Isle. 
The  Sheldon  company  did  not  reach  Plattsburg  in  time 


KM1]AR(;()   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812       97 

for  the  battle,  but  was  used  to  guard  prisoners  at  Crab 
Island. 

Rev.  Benjamin  Wooster  of  Sheldon,  finding  that 
some  of  the  men  of  that  town  were  reluctant  to  enlist, 
presented  himself  as  a  volunteer  and  called  upon  his 
parishioners  to  follow^  him.  The  company  was  soon 
filled  and  the  pastor  was  chosen  to  command  it.  At 
Plattsburg  the  clergyman  led  his  company  into  battle 
and  fought  bravely  through  the  engagement.  Later 
General  Strong  called  the  attention  of  Governor  Tomp- 
kins of  New  York  to  the  services  of  the  Vermont  clergy- 
man. As  a  token  of  appreciation  the  Empire  State 
executive  sent  to  Mr.  Wooster  as  a  present,  ''an  elegant 
folio,  full  gilt  Family  Bible  with  an  appropriate  letter 
inscribed  on  one  of  its  pages."  On  July  4,  1815,  Mr. 
Wooster  called  his  company  together,  showed  them  his 
present  and  delivered  an  appropriate  address. 

A  party  of  men  and  boys  worked  all  night  at  Middle- 
bury  to  prepare  a  company  for  service  at  Plattsburg, 
and  the  sum  of  two  hundred  and  ninety-five  dollars  was 
raised  for  ammunition  and  equipment.  One  detach- 
ment reached  its  destination  the  night  before  the  battle, 
another  the  morning  of  the  engagement,  and  a  third 
after  the  fighting  had  ceased.  Fifty-two  men  of  Top- 
sham  responded  to  the  alarm.  They  encamped  at  Mont- 
pel  ier  the  first  night  out.  On  the  following  day  they 
met  a  man  at  Richmond  distributing  handbills  w'hich  told 
that  the  fighting  was  over,  and  the  victory  had  been 
won. 

On  Sunday,  September  11,  1814,  a  messenger  arrived 
at  the  town  of  Ira,  entered  the  church  in  the  midst  of 


98  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

the  sermon,  and  announced  that  Plattsburg  was  being 
attacked  by  an  army  from  Canada  and  that  volunteers 
were  needed.  The  service  was  dismissed  and  twenty- 
six  men  enHsted  from  Ira  and  Clarendon.  Early  the 
next  morning  they  started  for  Plattsburg,  but  when 
they  reached  Vergennes  they  learned  that  the  enemy 
had  been  defeated,  and  they  returned  home. 

On  Friday,  September  9,  the  news  reached  Shoreham 
that  the  British  were  advancing  upon  Plattsburg. 
There  was  little  sleep  in  the  town  that  night.  Couriers 
were  sent  to  remote  parts  of  the  town.  Blacksmiths 
worked  night  and  day  to  fit  a  company  of  cavalry  for 
service.  The  women  of  the  various  households  hastened 
to  prepare  clothing  and  provisions.  Farmers  were  pre- 
paring for  the  fall  sowing  of  grain,  and  some  of  them 
left  their  ploughs  in  the  fields  and  travelled  all  night  to 
reach  the  place  of  meeting.  Two  companies  of  infan- 
try were  merged  in  one.  The  companies  of  infantry  and 
cavalry  reached  Burlington  on  Saturday  evening.  The 
next  morning  three  ships  were  ready  to  transport  volun- 
teers, and  on  one  of  these  the  men  from  Shoreham 
embarked.  As  the  ship  approached  Plattsburg  those  on 
board  could  see  the  flashes  from  the  guns  of  the  oppos- 
ing fleets.  As  the  firing  ceased  they  were  unable  to  tell 
which  side  had  won  until  a  little  sail  boat  bearing  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  approached  with  orders  from  Mac- 
donough,  announcing  the  victory  and  directing  them  to 
land  at  Peru. 

It  is  said  that  practically  all  the  able  bodied  men  of 
Burlington  and  vicinity  crossed  the  lake  to  join  the 
American  forces.     The  issue  of  the  Burlington  Sentinel 


EMBARCX)   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812       99 

of  September  9  consisted  of  one  sheet,  printed  on  only- 
one  side,  and  contained  this  explanatory  statement: 
"The  circumstances  of  the  hands  of  this  office  being  at 
Plattsburg  is  our  only  apology  for  the  appearance  of 
this  day's  paper."  Senator  Foot,  in  a  speech  deHvered 
many  years  later,  in  describing  the  response  to  the  alarm 
sent  out  before  the  battle  of  Plattsburg,  said:  "The 
farmers  left  their  harvest  in  the  field;  all  classes  of 
people  left  their  employment  and  their  homes  and  went 
to  the  scene  of  danger  and  conflict." 

A  detailed  account  of  the  land  and  naval  battle  of 
Plattsburg  belongs  to  a  history  of  New  York  rather 
than  in  a  record  of  Vermont  events,  but  the  part  taken 
by  Vermonters  deserves  mention. 

The  defences  of  Plattsburg  included  three  forts  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Saranac  River,  one  of  which.  Fort 
Brown,  was  garrisoned  by  detachments  of  Vermonters 
from  the  Thirtieth  and  Thirty-first  regiments  of  infan- 
try, under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Col.  Huckins  Storrs. 
\^ermont  soldiers  from  the  same  regiments  served  under 
Major,  afterward  General,  Wool,  as  skirmishers,  in 
checking  the  British  advance.  The  enemy  was  too 
strong  to  resist,  and  the  Americans  retired  across  the 
Saranac  River,  taking  up  the  bridges  behind  them,  and 
using  the  planks  for  breastworks.  General  Macomb 
was  successful  in  holding  back  the  enemy  and  in  inspir- 
ing his  troops  with  courage.  From  September  7  to 
September  10,  the  British  commander  was  engaged  in 
bringing  up  his  artillery  and  supplies  and  preparing  for 
a  siege.  During  this  period  volunteers  from  Vermont 
and  New  York  were  arriving  in  large  numbers.      On 

5B9588A 


100  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

September  10  General  Strong  reported  to  Governor  Chit- 
tenden that  1,812  of  the  Vermont  militia,  well  armed, 
were  at  Plattsburg.  On  the  following  day  the  number 
had  increased  to  2,500,  a  larger  number  probably,  than 
the  United  States  regulars  and  New  York  volunteers, 
combined. 

Governor  Chittenden  sent  to  Plattsburg  his  military 
aid,  Amos  W.  Barnum,  and  Samuel  Swift,  secretary  to 
the  Governor  and  Council,  in  order  to  keep  in  touch 
with  General  Strong,  who  commanded  the  Vermont 
militia. 

The  command  of  the  British  squadron  had  been  given 
to  Capt.  George  Downie,  who  had  been  summoned  from 
Lake  Ontario,  where  he  had  commanded  the  ship  Mon- 
treal. Capt.  Daniel  Pring  with  a  flotilla  of  British  gun- 
boats left  Isle  aux  Noix  on  September  3,  and  proceeded 
as  far  as  Isle  La  Motte.  Here,  according  to  his  official 
report,  he  took  possession  and  paroled  the  militia  of  the 
island.  Then  he  erected  a  battery  of  three  long  18- 
pounder  guns,  to  protect  a  position  "abreast  of  Little 
Chazy,  where  supplies  for  the  army  were  to  be  landed." 
Captain  Downie  with  the  remainder  of  the  fleet  followed 
a  few  days  later,  the  flagship  grounding  as  she  came  out 
of  the  Richelieu  River.  She  was  floated  without  injury 
and  the  ships  joined  the  gunboats  at  Isle  La  Motte  on 
September  8.  It  was  necessary  to  w-ait  until  Sunday, 
September  11,  before  the  needed  stores  were  secured. 
Leaving  Isle  La  Motte  at  daylight  on  September  11, 
with  a  northeast  breeze,  the  American  fleet  was  sighted 
at  Plattsburg  at  7  o'clock  that  morning. 


EMBARGO   ACT   AX  I)   WAR   OK    1812     101 

The  following'  account  of  ihc  naval  battle  of  i'latts- 
hurg,  printed  originally  by  the  Burlington  Sentinel  as  a 
handbill,  was  revised  and  jniblished  in  the  regular  issue 
of  September  16:  "On  Sunday,  the  ever  memorable 
1 1th  of  September,  the  enemy's  sf|uadron  was  discovered 
about  8  o'clock  A.  M.,  standing  u])  the  lake  with  a  favor- 
able breeze  under  a  press  of  sail.  Every  preparation 
was  made  by  our  gallant  Commodore  to  give  them  a 
warm  and  cordial  reception ;  with  his  squadron  at 
anchor  he  awaited  their  approach.  The  enemy  soon 
made  their  appearance  off  Cumberland  Head  and  bore 
down  for  our  scjuadron — the  enemy's  two  largest  vessels 
taking  a  position  to  attack  the  Saratoga,  our  flagship. 
The  first  broadside  from  her  killed  the  British  Commo- 
dore (Downie)  and  her  fire  continued  so  spirited  and 
well  directed  that  the  enemy's  flagship,  the  Confiaucc, 
soon  after  struck.  At  this  time  the  whole  broadside 
guns  of  the  Saratoga  next  to  the  enemy  were  completely 
unmanageable.  The  enemy's  brig  continued  her  fire. 
Our  Commodore  slipped  his  cable  and  wore  round:  two 
broadsides  compelled  the  brig  to  follow  the  example  of 
the  Coufiauce.  In  the  meantime  the  Preble  compelled 
one  of  the  enemy's  sloops  to  strike.  The  other  grounded 
Hospital  Island  just  before  the  battle  ended,  and  w^as 
taken  possession  of  by  some  of  our  Gallies.  The 
enemy's  Gallies,  excejit  two  which  were  sunk,  with  the 
assistance  of  their  oars,  effected  their  escape. 

"The  slaughter  on  board  the  British  fleet  was 
immense.  The  Confianee  alone  had  110  killed  and 
wounded.  Our  loss  is  severe — 56  men  killed  and 
wounded    on    board    the    Saratoga — Commodore    Mac- 


102  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

donough  himself  was  three  times  knocked  down  by  the 
splinters  and  falling  spars  and  blocks,  but  escaped  with 
trifling  injury.  The  loss  on  either  side  it  is  difficult  and 
as  yet  impossible  to  ascertain.  The  comparative  loss 
of  the  enemy  with  ours  is  stated  at  two  to  one. 

"The  British  fleet  consisted  of  fifteen  vessels,  viz.: — 

The  Confiancc,  mounting 39  guns 

The  Linnet,  mounting 16  guns 

The  Chub,  mounting 11  g"ns 

The  Pinch,  mounting 1 1   guns 

11  Gallies,  mounting 16  guns 

93  guns 
"Our  fleet  of  fourteen  vessels,  viz. : — 

The  Saratoga,  mounting 26  guns 

The  Bagle,  mounting 20  guns 

The  Ticonderoga,  mounting 17  guns 

The  Com.  Freblc,  mounting 7  gims 

6  Gallies,  2  each 12  guns 

4  Gallies,  1  each 4  gims 


86  guns 
"On  the  result  of  this  most  glorious  victory  comment 
is  unnecessary.  The  names  of  Macdonough  and  of  his 
gallant  officers,  will  be  inserted  among  those  of  Decatur, 
Hull,  Perry,  Bainbridge,  Porter  and  Jones,  and  like 
them  will  be  held  in  everlasting  remembrance. 

"The  enemy  under  Sir  George  Prevost,  amounting  to 
14,000  regulars  and  embodied  militia,  in  four  brigades 
commanded  by  Major  Generals  De  Rottenburgh, 
Powers,   Brisbane  and  Robinson,  appeared  before  our 


1^M^..\K(;()    ACT    AXD    WAR    Ol'    1X12     KKJ 

works  at  l*lattsbiir<;-,  and  alter  jjoniljarding',  cannonad- 
ini;-  and  rocket  firino-  were  oblig-ed  to  retreat  in  the  night 
(if  Sunday  last,  in  qreat  confusion,  leaving  a  number  of 
their  tents,  several  pieces  of  cannon,  great  (|uantities  of 
ammunition,  bombs,  cannon  balls,  grape  shot,  fixed 
cartridges,  shovels,  spades,  axes,  pickaxes,  bread.  Hour, 
beef,  etc.,  etc.  in  our  possession,  together  with  all  their 
sick  and  wounded  to  our  mercy.  The  gallantry  of  Gen- 
eral Macomb,  his  subalterns  and  brave  regulars  (not 
exceeding  1,500),  have  never  been  exceeded.  Not  a 
pallid  cheek  was  seen  during  the  whole  afifair,  notwith- 
standing the  show^ers  of  shot,  shells  and  rockets  which 
were  directed  at  our  w^orks.  On  silencing  the  enemy's 
battery  the  second  time,  Sir  George  made  his  escape  with 
his  life  guard,  while  we  were  playing  the  tune  of  Yankee 
Doodle. 

*'The  militia,  thirty-two  hundred,  without  distinction 
of  party  or  age,  in  every  instance  have  distinguished 
themselves.  The  Vermont  volunteers  have  behaved 
with  the  coolness  of  regulars,  and  their  conduct  has 
fulfilled  the  expectations  which  the  promptness  and 
spirit  with  Avhich  they  turned  out  had  raised. 

''The  enemy  in  their  flight  destroyed  all  the  bridges 
and  obstructed  the  road  by  trees,  baggage,  etc.  They 
were,  however,  pursued  as  far  as  Chazy,  but  on  account 
of  the  obstructions  of  the  road  and  their  precipien't 
("precipitate)  retreat,  our  heroes  were  not  able  to  over- 
take them.  The  enemy  have  learnt  a  lesson  long  to  be 
remembered,  that  the  'soil  of  Freedom  is  sacred,  and  that 
it  must  not,  shall  not,  be  polluted  with  impunity.'  In 
this  their  expedition  by  land  and  water,  we  can  account 


104  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

to  Sir  George  for  more  than  two  thousand  of  his  men 
killed  and  prisoners,  and  more  than  ninety  pieces  of 
cannon. 

"To  the  interposition  of  heaven,  be  ascribed  our 
glorious  victory." 

When  the  British  fleet  appeared  oft  Cumberland  Head, 
General  Prevost  ordered  two  brigades  to  force  the  Sara- 
nac  fords  and  attack  the  American  forts.  At  one  ford 
guarded  by  New  York  militia,  several  companies  of 
British  soldiers  effected  a  crossing,  and  drove  the  Amer- 
icans toward  the  Salmon  River,  where  a  large  number 
of  Vermont  troops  and  a  company  of  artillery  reinforced 
the  fleeing  militia.  The  attacking  force  was  compelled 
to  withdraw.  One  British  company  lost  its  way  and 
was  surrounded  by  Vermont  and  New  York  militia.  It 
is  related  that  during  the  land  battle  of  September  11, 
Captain  Safford  of  the  Vermont  militia  and  his  men, 
with  others,  took  possession  of  an  old  stone  grist  mill, 
and  their  firing  as  sharpshooters  silenced  the  British 
batteries  upon  the  bank  of  the  lake,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river.  The  St.  Albans  company  aided  in  re- 
pulsing an  attack  at  Pike's  cantonment. 

Two  hundred  and  forty  of  the  men  of  Orwell  marched 
to  Plattsburg  when  the  first  alarm  was  given  and  ten- 
dered their  services  to  the  commanding  oflicer.  Among 
the  Orwell  volunteers  was  a  small  cavalry  detachment 
of  about  tw^enty  men  raised  by  Captains  Scovell  of 
Orwell  and  Ketchuni  of  Sudbury,  and  commanded  by 
the  former,  in  which  some  of  the  prominent  citizens  of 
the  vicinity  were  enrolled.  On  their  arrival  they  found 
that  the  enemv  were  retroatinQ-,  nnd  wilhoul  wnitincr  for 


iCMI'.ARC.O    ACT    A\l)    WAR    OF    1812     105 

orders,  or  to  be  joined  by  other  forces,  they  ptirsned 
them,  surprised  the  rear  guard  at  Chazy,  captured  seven 
dragoons  with  their  horses  and  e(iuipnient,  and  the  con- 
tents of  two  baggage  wagons. 

The  town  of  Hartland  furnished  one  hundred  and 
fifty  regulars  and  organized  a  company  of  one  hundred 
exempts. 

Timothy  Chipman  of  Shoreham,  a  veteran  of  the 
Revolution,  and  a  Major  General  of  the  Vermont  militia, 
volunteered  as  a  private,  as  his  commission  was  in  force 
in  this  State,  took  a  mtisket,  and  crossed  the  lake.  He 
was  appointed  a  Brigadier  General  under  General 
Strong  and  was  given  command  of  V^ermont  volunteers. 

Most  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Grand  Isle, 
not  in  the  battle,  assembled  on  the  west  shore  of  the 
island  to  witness  the  naval  engagement,  and  some  of 
the  more  adventurous  crossed  in  small  boats  to  Cumber- 
land Head  to  get  a  better  view.  The  people  of  St. 
Albans  assembled  on  a  hilltop  on  Sunday  morning,  from 
which  point  the  British  could  be  seen  as  they  approached 
Plattsburg.  The  sound  of  the  cannonading  could  be 
heard,  but  the  result  of  the  battle  was  not  known  until 
a  horseman  passed  through  the  town  after  simset,  bring- 
ing the  news  of  victory.  The  roar  of  the  guns  was 
heard  plainly  at  Burlington  and  the  smoke  of  the  battle 
could  be  seen.  In  the  afternoon  the  news  of  the  battle 
was  received. 

Following  the  account  of  the  battle  in  the  Burlington 
Sentinel,  that  paper  said:  "Our  village  last  evening 
presented  a  most  brilliant  spectacle.  Every  house  was 
illuminated  which,  with  the  ringing  of  bells,  discharges 


106  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

of  musketry,  and  salutes  of  ordnance  from  the  wharf 
and  encampment,  proclaimed  the  joy  of  our  citizens  and 
their  gratitude  to  their  heroic  deliverers." 

Most  of  the  Vermont  militia  returned  home  on  Mon- 
day, September  12,  but  owing  to  lack  of  transportation 
facilities  the  St.  Albans  company  was  delayed  until 
Wednesday,  September  14.  A  public  dinner  was  given 
that  evening,  a  torchlight  procession  was  held,  and  it  is 
recorded  that  members  of  both  political  parties  partici- 
pated in  the  rejoicing. 

The  booming  of  cannon  announcing  the  victory  was 
supposed  by  some  persons  to  be  the  firing  of  British 
ships  coming  up  the  lake. 

A  letter  from  Secretary  of  War  James  Monroe,  and 
addressed  to  Governor  Chittenden,  dated  September  15, 
four  days  after  the  victory  at  Plattsburg,  called  atten- 
tion to  General  Macomb's  danger,  and  asked  for  rein- 
forcements of  not  less  than  two  thousand  Vermont 
troops. 

In  his  report  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  describing  the 
battle  of  Plattsburg,  General  Macomb  declared  that  ''the 
volunteers  of  Vermont  were  exceedingly  serviceable." 

Governor  Chittenden,  on  September  19,  issued  a  proc- 
lamation in  which  he  referred  in  terms  of  the  highest 
praise  to  the  victors  of  the  land  and  naval  battles  at 
Plattsburg.  He  took  occasion  to  call  attention  to  the 
fact  that  ''the  British  army  is  still  on  the  frontier  of  our 
sister  State,  collecting  and  concentrating  a  powerful 
force,  indicating  further  operations  of  aggression.  To 
this  he  added  the  following: 


IvMliARlU)   ACT   AXI)   WAR   OF    1812     107 

"And,  whereas  ihe  cuntlict  has  become  a  cuninion  and 
not  a  party  concern,  the  time  has  now  arrived  when  all 
(k'i^rading  party  distinctions  and  animosities,  however  we 
may  ha\  e  differed  respecting  the  policy  of  declaring,  or 
the  mode  of  prosecuting  the  war,  ought  to  be  laid  aside; 
that  every  heart  may  be  stimulated,  and  every  arm 
nerved  for  the  protection  of  our  common  country,  our 
liberty,  our  altars,  and  our  firesides,  in  the  defence  of 
which  we  may,  with  a  humble  confidence,  look  to  Heaven 
for  assistance  and  protection. 

"Nov^,  therefore,  I,  Martin  Chittenden,  Governor  and 
Commander-in-Chief  in  and  over  the  State  of  Vermont, 
do  issue  this  proclamation,  earnestly  exorting  all  the 
good  people  of  this  State  by  that  love  of  country  which 
so  signally  distinguished  our  fathers  in  their  glorious 
and  successful  struggle  for  our  independence,  to  unite 
both  heart  and  hand  in  defence  of  our  common  interest 
and  everything  dear  to  freemen. 

"I  do  enjoin  it  upon  all  officers  of  divisions,  brigades, 
regiments  and  companies  of  the  militia  of  this  State  to 
exert  themselves  in  the  exercise  of  their  respective  duties, 
in  placing  those  under  their  command  in  a  complete  state 
of  readiness,  and  without  further  order  to  march  at  a 
moment's  warning  to  meet  any  invasion  which  may  be 
attempted,  and  to  chastise  and  expel  the  invader." 

The  Governor  recommended  that  those  persons  exempt 
from  military  duty  organize  and  equip  themselves  for 
purposes  of  defence,  and  that  the  town  authorities  be 
vigilant  in  the  matter  of  providing  ammunition. 

In  a  letter  addressed  to  Secretary  of  War  James  Mon- 
roe,   and    dated    September    28,    Governor    Chittenden 


108  HISTORY   OF    VERMONT 

wrote:  "I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  yours  of  the 
15th  inst.  and  have  the  great  satisfaction  to  inform  you 
that  every  object  contemplated  in  your  communication 
has  been  effected.  Volunteers,  to  a  much  larger  number 
than  that  mentioned  in  your  request,  turned  out  and 
crossed  the  lake  to  meet  the  enemy,  without  distinction 
of  age,  character  or  party,  exhibiting  a  spirit  and  zeal 
for  the  defence  of  their  country  which  reflects  the  high- 
est honor  on  themselves  and  the  country  they  have  sig- 
nally aided  in  defending.  The  glorious  event  of  our 
success  against  a  far  superior  force,  both  by  land  and 
water,  is  of  the  highest  importance  to  this  portion  of  the 
Union,  and  cannot  fail  so  to  be  considered  in  a  national 
point  of  view." 

Soon  after  the  victory  at  Plattsburg  a  committee  of 
Burlington  citizens  was  appointed  to  wait  upon  Mac- 
donough,  to  express  to  the  American  naval  commander 
the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  fellow  citi- 
zens for  ''the  gallantry  and  skill  which  had  achieved 
the  victory  of  the  ever  memorable  11th  of  September," 
and  as  a  tribute  of  their  gratitude,  and  a  testimonial  of 
their  respect,  to  request  the  attendance  of  himself  and 
his  officers  at  a  public  dinner.  Invitations  were  also 
extended  to  Governor  Chittenden,  to  General  Macomb, 
who  had  "gallantly  defended  his  position  against  the 
overwhelming  numbers  of  Sir  George  Prevost's  con- 
querors of  the  veterans  of  France,"  and  to  General 
Strong.     These  invitations  were  accepted. 

The  Burlington  Sentinel  describes  the  visit  in  these 
words:  "On  Monday  (September  26)  at  5  o'clock 
P.  M.,  the  roar  of  artillery  announced  the  arrival  of  the 


EMBARGO  ACT   ANi:)   WAR  OF    1X12     109 

licru  ui  Chainplain  with  ihc  gallaiu  utliccrs  ui  his 
squadron  and  licncral  Alaconib  and  suile.  They  were 
greeted  at  their  landing  iruni  the  steamboat  with  loud 
and  reiterated  cheers  from  a  large  concourse  of  citizens 
assembled  to  welcome  them.  A  procession  was  then 
formed — The  American  flag,  under  which  our  brave 
heroes  so  nobly  fought,  was  raised,  with  the  Union  Jack 
of  old  England,  once  considered  by  all  the  world  as  the 
triumphant  symbol  of  victory,  waving  underneath  it. 
The  Commodore,  accompanied  by  the  General,  was 
seated  in  an  elegant  coach  prepared  for  the  occasion, 
preceded  by  the  officers  of  the  Navy  and  Army,  when 
the  procession,  headed  by  an  excellent  band  of  music, 
escorted  them  to  the  Burlington  Coffee  House.  During 
the  whole  movement  of  the  procession  reciprocal  salutes 
were  fired  from  the  artillery  on  the  wharf  and  on  the 
Court  House  Square.  The  Commodore  received  these 
testimonials  of  the  joy  and  gratitude  of  his  fellow  citi- 
zens with  that  modesty  and  dignity  so  conspicuous  in  his 
character.  The  evergreen  sprig  worn  by  our  dis- 
tinguished vohmteers  during  the  siege  of  Plattsburg 
decorated  the  hats  of  the  Commodore,  General  and  their 
respective  officers.  This  handsome  compliment  was 
most  sensibly  felt  and  acknowledged  with  enthusiastic 
plaudits. 

"On  Tuesday,  at  10  o'clock  A.  M.,  a  procession  con- 
sisting of  an  immense  concourse  of  citizens  of  this  and 
the  neighboring  towns  was  formed  upon  the  Court  House 
green,  under  the  direction  of  Col.  Seth  Pomeroy,  mar- 
shal of  the  day,  assisted  by  Messrs.  N.  B.  Haswell  and 
G.  Moore  and  escorted  by  a  large  and  elegant  company 


110  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

of  cavalry  under  the  command  of  Capt.  N.  Newell, 
marched  to  the  meeting  house  in  the  following  order, 
viz. :  Cavalry,  two  bands  of  music,  citizens.  Selectmen 
of  the  town  and  civil  authority  of  the  county,  Judges  of 
the  County  Court  and  Sheriff,  officers  of  the  Army, 
committee  of  arrangements,  officers  of  the  Navy,  the 
reverend  clergy,  General  Macomb  and  General  Strong, 
Commodore  Macdonough  and  His  Excellency,  the 
Governor." 

After  religious  exercises,  the  procession  formed  again 
and  proceeded  to  the  hotel,  where  an  elaborate  dinner 
was  served,  attended  by  hundreds  of  guests.  Dr.  John 
Pomeroy  was  president  of  the  day  and  among  his  assist- 
ants was  C.  P.  Van  Ness,  afterward  Governor  of  the 
State.  The  following  toasts  were  drunk,  "accompanied 
by  heavy  peals  of  artillery,  reiterated  cheers,  and  appro- 
priate music  from  the  bands": 

"The  11th  of  September,  1814— The  day  on  which 
our  naval  Hercules  became  of  age. 

"The  Union  of  the  States — Our  happiness  in  peace; 
our  security  in  war. 

"The  Government  of  the  United  States — May  the 
head  winds  of  party  spirit  no  longer  prevent  them  from 
laying  their  course  directly  for  the  port  of  public 
prosperity. 

"American  Sons  of  Ocean,  Nature's  Noblemen — In 
them  every  foe  feels  the  paw  of  a  lion,  but  the  battle 
once  ended,  the  heart  of  a  lamb. 

"Our  Naval  Heroes  who  are  slain — The  grass  shall 
be  ever  green  over  their  graves,  watered  by  a  Nation's 
tears.      (Drunk  standing.) 


EMBARCUJ   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812     111 

"The  Army — May  their  success  and  reward  e(|ual 
their  skill,  courai^c  and  patriotism. 

"Washington — Let  his  name  never  he  omitted  in  the 
loghook  of  puhlic   festivities.      (Drunk  standing.) 

"The  |)atriotic  volunteers  of  Vermont  and  New  York 
— They  have  taught  John  Bull  the  second  part  of  the 
tune  of  'Saratoga'. 

"Every  surviving  combatant  in  the  late  engagement. 

''Foreign  Invaders — The  shade  of  Downie  exclaims, 
'Be  ye  also  ready'. 

"Sir  George  Prevost's  Invasion — 'The  Duke  of  York 
with  fifty  thousand  men,  marched  up  the  hill  and  then 
marched  down  again'. 

"Our  Late  Successes  in  Upper  Canada — The  use  of 
victories  is  to  procure  peace. 

"The  Heroes  of  the  Revolution — The  best  tribute  to 
their  memories  is  to  follow  their  examples.  (Drunk 
standing.) 

"The  Gallant  Commodore  Chauncey — The  British 
Lion  is  aware  of  Preble's  pupil,  and  wisely  keeps  his 
den. 

"Our  Native  Soil — May  the  vengeance  of  freemen 
blast  the  foe  that  would  pollute  it,  and  the  arm  be  palsied 
which  would  not  rise  to  defend  it. 

"Agriculture,  Commerce  and  Manufactures — Sources 
of  our  wealth  and  pillars  of  our  strength. 

"Peace  with  all  the  world  upon  just  and  honorable 
terms." 

Commodore  Macdonough  offered  this  toast:  "Com- 
modore Chauncey — May  his  country  soon  be  gratified 
with  the  first  wish   of  his  heart;  a  meeting  with   Sir 


112  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

James  Yeo."  After  Commodore  Macdonough  had  re- 
tired Governor  Chittenden  offered  this  toast:  "Com- 
modore Macdonough — The  Christian,  the  hero,  the 
friend."  General  Macomb  oft'ered  the  following: 
"The  Green  Mountain  Boys,  or  the  troops  Sir  George 
Prevost  mistook  for  General  Izard's  army  in  disguise." 
General  Strong  proposed  this  toast :  ''Freeman's  Rights 
— May  they  be  protected  by  us  with  the  same  spirit  as 
they  were  procured  and  defended  by  our  forefathers." 

Following  the  account  of  this  celebration  are  the  words 
of  a  song,  written  by  W.  Loomis,  entitled  "Mac- 
donough's  Victory,"  and  probably  sung  on  this  occasion. 
A  part  of  the  refrain  is  given  herewith: 

"And  the  wreath  by  Nelson  worn 
Shall  Macdonough's  brow  adorn, 
And  the  trump  of  fame 
Shall  sound  his  name 
To  ages  yet  unborn." 

The  day's  festivities  were  ended  with  a  ball  in  the 
evening,  attended  by  Governor  Chittenden,  Commodore 
Macdonough,  General  Macomb,  and  other  officers  of  the 
Army  and  Navy.  The  ball  room  was  decorated  with 
festoons  of  evergreen  and  flowers,  and  the  motto  in  gold 
letters,  "T.  Macdonough,  the  Hero  of  Champlain." 
The  British  flag  was  displayed  beneath  the  Stars  and 
Stripes.  It  is  recorded  that  "a  brilliant  assemblage  of 
ladies  from  this  and  neighboring  towns  graced  the  eve- 
ning with  their  attendance." 

The  fleet  remained  at  IMattsburg  Bay  for  some  time. 
Repairs  on  Macdonough's  vessels  and  on  the  captured 


l{Mr..\I>J(;()    ACT    A\l)   WAR    Ol^^    1X12     1]3 

ships  were  necessary,  and  the  mouth  of  the  Richelieu 
River  was  closely  g"uarded  to  prevent  any  return  of  the 
British  gunboats.  On  October  2  the  Saratoga,  Con- 
fiaticc,  Ticondcroi/a  and  Linnet  left  I^lattsburg  for 
Whitehall.  As  the  Saratoija  passed  Piurlington  she 
fired  a  salute,  "the  last  gun,  probably,  that  she  ever 
fired,"  says  Rodney  Macdonough.  Late  in  October 
Macdonough  went  to  Whitehall  and  made  arrangements 
for  laying  up  the  ships  there.  The  wounded  were  re- 
moved from  Crab  Island  to  Burlington  in  charge  of 
Surgeon  William  Caton.  Jr.  Late  in  the  year  1814  a 
British  transport  sloop  loaded  with  ammunition  and 
stores,  which  had  been  sunk  off  Isle  La  Motte,  was 
raised. 

On  November  1,  Macdonough  turned  over  to  Lieut. 
Charles  A.  Budd  the  command  of  the  squadron.  He 
remained  at  Whitehall  on  board  the  Confiancc,  however, 
for  several  weeks,  leaving  early  in  December  for  his 
home  at  Middletown,  Conn. 

Congress  ordered  a  gold  medal  to  be  struck  and  pre- 
sented to  Macdonough,  thanked  him  for  his  ''decisive 
and  splendid  victory,"  and  he  w'as  promoted  from  the 
rank  of  Master  Commandant  to  that  of  Captain  to  date 
from  September  11. 

Admiral  A.  T.  Mahan,  the  eminent  naval  authority, 
lias  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  twice  in  the  history 
of  the  United  States  a  naval  force  on  Lake  Champlain 
produced  decisive  results.  Of  the  engagement  at  Platts- 
burg,  he  said :  "The  battle  had  saved  the  whole  frontier 
for  that  year  (1814);  but  more,  it  put  an  end  to  all 
British   hopes    of   modifying   conditions   before    peace. 


114  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

*  *  *  1\q  battle  of  Plattsburg  was  decisive  of  the 
results  of  the  war,  so  far  as  territorial  and  boundary 
demands  were  concerned." 

Theodore  Roosevelt  said:  "Macdonough  in  this 
battle  won  a  higher  fame  than  any  other  commander  of 
the  war,  British  or  American.  '''  *  *  His  skill,  sea- 
manship, quick  eye,  readiness  of  resource,  and  in- 
domitable pluck,  are  beyond  all  praise.  Down  to  the 
time  of  the  Civil  War  he  is  the  greatest  figure  in  our 
naval  history." 

The  victory  at  Plattsburg  meant  much  for  the  Nation, 
but  it  meant  more  for  Vermont.  It  saved  the  State 
from  occupation,  perhaps  from  devastation  by  foreign 
troops.  The  invasion  of  Burgoyne  was  not  repeated. 
Champlain  did  not  become  a  British  lake  and  Burling- 
ton was  not  garrisoned  by  the  King's  troops. 

The  Council  of  Censors,  elected  in  1813,  consisted  of 
Nathaniel  Chipman  of  Tinmouth,  Isaac  Tichenor  of 
Bennington,  David  Edmond  of  Vergennes,  Daniel  Far- 
rand  of  Newbury,  Ebenezer  Clark  of  Lunenburg,  Isaac 
Bayley  of  Newbury,  Nicholas  Baylies  of  Montpelier, 
Solomon  Bingham  of  Fairfield,  William  Hall,  Jr.,  of 
Rockingham,  Luther  Jewett  of  St.  Johnsbury,  Charles 
Marsh  of  Woodstock,  Elijah  Strong  of  Brownington 
and  Robert  Temple  of  Rutland.  All  were  Federalists 
except  the  last  named  member.  Ex-Governor  Tichenor 
was  elected  president  and  sessions  were  held  at  Mont- 
pelier, June  2-4  and  October  14-November  1,  1813,  and 
at  Middlebury,  January  19-24,  1814.  Many  constitu- 
tional amendments  were  proposed.  Among  the  most  im- 
portant were  the  substitution  of  an  elective  Senate  of 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812     115 

twenty- four  members  in  place  uf  the  Executive  Coun- 
cil, the  term  to  be  three  years,  one-third  retiring  each 
year;  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  to  serve  during 
good  behavior,  subject  to  removal  from  office  by  a  tvvo- 
thirds  vote  of  both  branches  of  the  Legislature;  and 
a  provision  prohibiting  the  suspension  of  the  writ  of 
habeas  corpus  under  any  circumstances.  The  Republi- 
cans were  strongly  opposed  to  the  proposed  amendments 
and  meetings  were  held  protesting  against  their  adop- 
tion. A  convention  called  to  consider  these  proposals 
was  held  at  Montpelier  June  7-9,  1814,  and  twenty-three 
amendments  were  defeated  without  a  dissenting  vote. 
Only  20  votes  were  cast  in  favor  of  a  Senate,  while  188 
were  opposed  to  it.  The  habeas  corpus  amendment  was 
supported  by  51  members,  while  156  opposed  it. 

On  September  28,  1814,  Congressman  Fisk  of  Ver- 
mont offered  a  resolution  providing  that  the  Committee 
on  Public  Lands  be  instructed  to  inquire  into  the 
expediency  of  giving  to  each  deserter  from  the  British 
army  during  the  war  one  hundred  acres  of  public  lands, 
provided  actual  settlement  was  made.  The  House  re- 
jected the  motion  of  Congressman  Bradley  of  Vermont 
to  table  the  resolution,  and  adopted  it  by  a  vote  of 
80  to  55. 

There  was  no  choice  for  Governor  or  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor in  the  fall  of  1814,  but  this  time  the  Federalists 
had  a  slight  lead  in  the  popular  vote,  which  w-as  as  fol- 
lows: Martin  Chittenden  (Fed.),  17,466;  Jonas 
Galusha  (Rep.).  17,411 ;  scattering.  451.  The  Federal- 
ists controlled  the  Legislature,  having  elected  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Coimcil.  and   Daniel   Chipman  again  was 


116  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

chosen  Speaker  of  the  Assembly.  The  Legislature  on 
joint  ballot  reelected  Governor  Chittenden  and  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  Chamberlain  by  a  majority  of  twenty- 
nine  on  joint  ballot. 

One  of  the  most  striking  examples  of  political  retribu- 
tion in  Vermont  history  was  the  election  in  1814  of  six 
Federalist  Congressmen.  The  Republicans  had  amended 
the  law,  which  had  provided  for  election  by  districts,  and 
had  substituted  an  act  by  the  terms  of  which  all  mem- 
bers of  Congress  were  chosen  on  a  general  ticket,  appar- 
ently, as  claimed  by  their  opponents,  to  prevent  the  occa- 
sional election  of  one  or  two  Federalist  members.  At 
the  first  election  following  the  enactment  of  this  law 
every  Republican  candidate  was  defeated.  Had  the 
district  law  remained  in  force  it  is  altogether  probable, 
the  vote  being  very  close,  that  several  Congressmen  in 
sympathy  with  the  Madison  administration  would  have 
been  chosen.  To  complete  the  measure  of  victory  the 
Federalists  elected  Isaac  Tichenor  United  States  Senator 
for  a  full  term  of  six  years  to  succeed  Jonathan  Robin- 
son. That  the  Federalists  should  have  been  able,  even 
by  narrow  majorities,  to  make  a  clean  sweep  of  the  State 
at  this  time,  indicates  widespread  dissatisfaction  with 
the  administration's  war  policy  and  its  conduct  of  mili- 
tary aflfairs. 

Daniel  Chipman,  one  of  the  new  Congressmen,  was 
the  youngest  brother  of  Judge  Nathaniel  Chipman,  and 
was  born  at  Salisbury,  Conn.,  October  22,  1765.  He 
removed  with  his  father  to  Tinmouth  in  1775  and  in 
1788  was  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College.  He 
studied  law  with  his  brother,  was  admitted  to  the  bar, 


l':.MI5.\k(;()    ACT    AXI)    WAR    OF    1812     117 

began  practice  in  Rutland,  but  removed  to  Middlebury 
in  1794.  From  1806  to  1816  he  was  professor  of  law 
in  Middlebury  College.  He  represented  Middlebury  in 
the  Legislature,  1798-1800,  in  1802,  1804,  1806-08, 
1812-14.  in  1818  and  in  1821.  In  1813  and  1814  he 
was  Speaker  and  in  1808  resigned  from  the  Assembly 
to  serve  on  the  Executive  Council.  He  was  State's 
Attorney  for  Addison  county,  1797-1817.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Constitutional  Conventions  of  1793, 
1814.  1836,  1843,  and  1850.  He  was  an  able  and  vigor- 
ous debater  and  for  fifty-three  years  was  active  in  public 
affairs.  His  published  works  include  an  "Essay  on  the 
Law  of  Contracts,"  "Reports  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Vermont,  1789-1825,"  "Life  of  Nathaniel  Chipman," 
"Memoir  of  Seth  Warner,"  and  "Memoir  of  Thomas 
Chittenden."  He  died  April  23,  1850,  aged  eighty-five 
years. 

Luther  Jewett,  member  of  Congress,  was  born  at 
Canterbury,  Conn.,  in  1772,  was  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth College  in  1792,  and  came  to  St.  Johnsbury  in 
1800,  where  he  began  the  practice  of  medicine.  For 
ten  years  he  was  a  preacher.  He  served  one  term  in 
Congress,  sitting  by  the  side  of  Daniel  Webster,  then 
serving  his  second  term  in  the  House.  In  1827  he 
established  an  Anti-Masonic  newspaper.  The  Friend,  the 
first  to  be  published  in  St.  Johnsbury.  In  1828  he 
founded  a  Whig  nev/spaper,  TJie  Fanner's  Herald. 
Daniel  Webster  visited  him  in  1830.  In  1836  he  was  a 
mem])er  of  the  Vermont  Constitutional  Convention.  He 
died  in  1860,  aged  eighty-seven  years. 


118  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Chauncey  Langdon,  member  of  Congress,  was  born 
at  Farmington,  Conn.,  November  8,  1763.  He  was 
graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1787,  studied  law  at  Litch- 
field, Conn.,  and  came  to  Vermont  in  1788,  settling  first 
at  Windsor,  and  removing  a  little  later  to  Castleton.  He 
was  Register  of  Probate,  1792-97,  and  Judge  of  Pro- 
bate, 1798-99.  He  represented  Castleton  in  the  Legis- 
lature in  1813-14,  1819-20,  and  1822.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Executive  Council  in  1808  and  1823-29.  He 
was  a  trustee  of  Middlebury  College  for  nineteen  years. 
He  died  July  23,  1830. 

Asa  Lyon,  member  of  Congress,  was  born  at  Pom- 
fret,  Conn.,  December  31,  1763.  He  was  graduated 
from  Dartmouth  College  in  1790  and  entered  the  Con- 
gregational ministry,  being  pastor  of  a  church  at  Sun- 
derland, Mass.,  1792-93.  He  organized  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  at  South  Hero  and  Grand  Isle  and  served 
as  its  pastor  for  forty  years.  For  a  considerable  part 
of  this  time  he  served  without  a  salary,  cultivating  his 
farm  with  such  success  that  he  became,  it  is  said,  the 
wealthiest  man  in  Grand  Isle  county.  He  was  a  man  of 
giant  frame  and  powerful  intellect,  although  he  had 
some  peculiarities.  He  represented  his  town  in  the 
Legislature,  1799-1802,  1804-06,  1808  and  1810-14.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Executive  Council  in  1808.  He 
was  Chief  Judge  of  Grand  Isle  County  Court  in  1805-06, 
1808  and  1813.     He  died  April  4,  1841. 

Charles  Marsh,  member  of  Congress,  was  a  son  of 
Lieut.  Gov.  Joseph  Marsh,  and  was  l)orn  at  Lebanon, 
Conn.,  July  10,  1765.  He  came  to  Hartford,  \^t.,  in 
1773  and  was  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND   WAR   OF    1812     119 

1786.  lie  studied  law  in  the  law  scIkjuI  conducted  at 
Litchfield,  Conn.,  by  Judge  Reeves  and  settled  at  Wood- 
stock for  the  practice  of  his  profession.  lie  was 
appointed  United  States  State's  Attorney  for  the  district 
of  V'ermont  in  1797,  serving  until  1801.  He  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  American  Colonization  Society.  He 
was  also  a  trustee  of  Dartmouth  College  and  received 
from  that  institution  the  degree  of  LL.D.  He  died  Jan- 
uary 11,  1849. 

John  Noyes,  member  of  Congress,  was  born  at  Atkin- 
son, N.  H.,  April  2.  1764.  He  was  graduated  from 
Dartmouth  College  in  1795  and  became  a  tutor  there, 
Daniel  Webster  being  one  of  his  pupils.  He  studied 
theology,  but  did  not  preach,  teaching  until  1800,  when 
he  removed  to  Brattleboro  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  He  served  in  the  Legislature  in  1808  and 
1810-12.  After  he  retired  from  Congress  he  removed 
to  Dummerston,  where  he  resided  for  four  years,  when 
he  removed  to  Putney.  His  wife  was  Polly,  daughter 
of  Rutherford  Hayes,  the  grandfather  of  President 
Rutherford  B.  Hayes.  Mr.  Noyes  died  October  26, 
1841. 

In  his  inaugural  address  Governor  Chittenden  de- 
clared that  the  raising  of  a  volunteer  force  for  service 
at  Plattsburg  was  "the  only  mode  by  which  efficient  and 
timely  aid  could  possibly  be  afiforded."  He  considered 
that  the  results  "ought  to  palsy  the  tongue  of  slander, 
every  desirable  object  having  been  secured,  and  in  a 
manner  the  least  burthensome  and  ofifensive  to  the  feel- 
ings of  a  free  and  enlightened  people."  By  request  of 
the  Secretary  of  War  he  presented  to  General  Strong 


120  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

and  the  Vermont  volunteers  the  thanks  of  the  National 
Government  "for  their  prompt  succor  and  gallant  con- 
duct in  the  late  critical  state  of  this  frontier."  He  paid 
high  tribute  to  Commodore  Macdonough  and  General 
Macomb,  saying:  "These  glorious  achievements  are 
not  surpassed  in  the  records  of  naval  and  military  war- 
fare." 

Concerning  the  war  he  said:  "I  consider  it  due  to 
myself,  and  more  especially  to  my  constituents,  explic- 
itly to  state  that  the  events  of  the  war  have  in  no  wise 
altered  my  opinion  of  its  origin  or  its  progress.  I  have 
conscientiously  and  uniformly  disapproved  of  it  as  un- 
necessary, unwise  and  hopeless,  in  all  its  offensive  opera- 
tions. And  notwithstanding  the  few  brilliant  successes 
we  have  met  with  in  our  operations  of  defence,  I  can  see 
very  little  in  its  general  complexion  which  affords  the 
least  consolation." 

The  committee  to  draft  an  answer  reported  a  reply  in 
sympathy  with  the  speech,  which  was  adopted  by  a  vote 
of  106  to  85.  In  its  reply  the  Legislature  declared: 
"The  termination  of  this  unhappy  war  may  yet  be  far 
distant.  And  it  irresistibly  claims  the  consideration  of 
every  prudent  man,  whether  those  who,  without  any 
adequate  cause  or  rational  hope  of  success,  and  contrary 
to  the  warning  and  entreaties  of  the  best  and  wisest 
men  our  country  can  boast,  exchanged  a  condition  of 
peace  and  eminent  pros])crity  for  the  evils  of  a  desolat- 
ing war,  will  ever  be  al)le  to  restore  the  country  to  an 
honorable  rank  among  nations.  If,  as  in  all  other  ceases. 
we  arc  to  judge  of  the  future  from  the  past,  what  can 
be  expected  of  those  whose  war  of  conquest  has  been  con- 


Lake  Menipliremagog 


EMBARGO   ACT   AXD   WAR   ()I<    1812     121 

verted  into  a  war  of  defence,  desolating  our  own  terri- 
tory; whose  schemes  with  very  few  exceptions  have 
terminated  in  defeat  and  disgrace;  who  have  annihilated 
the  commerce,  and  with  it  the  revenue  of  the  nation, 
wasted  the  public  treasure,  accumulated  an  enormous 
debt,  and  impaired  public  credit  to  such  a  degree  that  it 
can  be  redeemed  only  by  a  system  of  internal  taxation, 
extending  to  almost  every  necessary  article  of  subsist- 
ence. In  such  a  state  of  our  national  affairs  the  General 
Assembly  believes  that  it  is  vain  to  hope  for  the  restora- 
tion of  that  state  of  unexampled  prosperity  without  com- 
mitting the  administration  of  our  National  Government 
to  men  much  more  distinguished  for  vigor  and  ability 
than  those  by  whom  it  is  now  conducted." 

A  substitute  reported  by  the  minority,  eliminating 
certain  ])artisan  features,  was  rejected  by  a  vote  of  109 
to  85.  Eighty-two  members  later  entered  a  protest  on 
the  journal  of  the  House,  severely  criticising  Governor 
Chittenden's  course  during  the  period  preceding  the 
battle  of  Plattsburg. 

On  October  22,  Heman  Allen  of  Colchester  intro- 
duced a  resolution,  which  was  adopted,  instructing  the 
committee  on  that  part  of  the  Governor's  speech  relating 
to  Captain  Macdonough  to  inquire  into  the  expediency 
of  making  him  a  grant  of  a  certain  tract  of  land,  for- 
merly the  estate  of  Melancton  W.  Woolsey,  lying  near 
Cumberland  Head,  "and  in  full  view  of  the  late  naval 
conflict."  A  grant  was  made  in  accordance  with  this 
resolution. 

The  Legislature  also  voted  its  thanks  to  Capt. 
Thomas  Macdonough,  "the  hero  and  patriot,   for  his 


122  IJISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

unequalled  bravery  and  important  services  in  the  con- 
quest of  a  superior  force  on  the  11  th  of  September,  1814, 
which  protected  the  soil  of  freedom,  gained  the  applause 
of  millions  and  merited  universal  respect  and  admira- 
tion." Thanks  were  also  extended  to  Macdonough's 
officers  and  men.  General  Strong  and  the  Vermont 
volunteers  were  thanked  for  "their  distinguished  services 
and  patriotism,"  and  for  "their  promptitude  and  bravery 
in  defence  of  their  country."  Another  resolution  de- 
clared that  "this  Legislature,  entertaining  a  high  sense 
of  the  undaunted  bravery  and  skill  of  Gen.  Alexander 
Macomb,  and  his  companions  in  arms,  in  the  defence  of 
an  important  post,  and  in  the  discomfiture  of  the  enemy 
at  Plattsburg,  consisting  of  superior  numbers  and  com- 
manded by  many  of  his  ablest  generals,  do  present  to 
Gen.  Alexander  Macomb,  and  through  him  to  the  officers 
and  soldiers  under  his  command,  in  the  name  and  behalf 
of  the  freemen  of  Vermont,  the  thanks  of  this  Legis- 
lature for  their  gallant  conduct." 

The  thanks  of  the  Legislature  of  New  York  were 
extended  to  the  Vermont  volunteers.  On  June  25,  1817, 
a  sword  voted  by  the  New  York  Legislature  to  Gen. 
Samuel  Strong,  was  presented  to  him  at  Vergennes  by  a 
delegation  headed  by  Col.  Melancton  Smith,  after  which 
a  dinner  was  served  at  Painter's  Inn.  The  sword  was 
of  exquisite  workmanship,  with  a  hilt  and  scabbard  of 
gold.  The  hilt  bore  the  device  of  a  herculean  moun- 
taineer, crushing  in  his  arms  the  British  Lion.  The 
scabbard  bore  the  following  inscription:  "Presented  by 
His  Excellency  Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  Governor  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  pursuant  to  a  Resolution  of  the 


KAinAki.o    ACT   AM)    WAR   C)F    1812     123 

Senate  and  Assembly  of  the  said  State,  to  Major  General 
Sannicl  Strong,  of  the  Vermont  Volunteers,  as  a 
memorial  of  the  sense  entertained  by  the  State  of  his 
services,  and  those  of  his  brave  mountaineers,  at  the 
battle  of  Plattsburg."  Thus  had  time  modified  the  sen- 
timents of  New  York  officials  concerning  the  Green 
Mountain  Boys. 

During  the  legislative  session  of  1814,  letters  from  the 
Governors  of  Pennsylvania  and  Tennessee  were  re- 
ceived, proposing  a  reduction  of  the  term  of  service  of 
United  States  Senators  from  six  to  four  years.  The 
proposal  was  referred  to  a  committee  which  reported  that 
the  adoption  of  the  amendment  was  considered  inex- 
pedient.    This  report  was  accepted  without  opposition. 

An  investigation  of  the  workings  of  the  act  allowing 
$vS.34  per  month  as  extra  pay  for  non-commissioned  offi- 
cers and  privates  detached  for  United  States  service  was 
ordered;  and  it  was  found  that  orders  in  excess  of  two 
thousand  dollars  were  forgeries. 

An  invitation  was  received  from  the  Governor  and 
Legislature  of  Massachusetts  to  send  delegates  to  a  con- 
vention representing  the  New  England  States,  to  be  held 
at  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  December,  "to  confer  on  various 
important  subjects."  This  was  a  Federalist  proposal 
and  the  Vermont  Legislature  was  controlled  by  that 
party,  but  the  plan  did  not  meet  with  approval.  That 
wise  elder  statesman,  Nathaniel  Chipman,  sensing 
danger,  hastened  from  his  home  in  Tinmouth  to  Mont- 
pelier,  and  through  his  influence,  it  is  said,  the  committee 
to  which  the  matter  was  referred  reported  that  it  was 
inexpedient    to    accept    the    Massachusetts    invitation. 


124  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

This  report  was  adopted.  Although  Vermont  was  not 
represented  as  a  State,  W'iUiam  Hall,  Jr.,  of  Bellows 
Falls,  a  member  of  the  Governor's  Council,  was  sent  by 
a  few  citizens  of  Windham  county  and  participated  in 
the  proceedings.  Secretary  of  State  Josiah  Dunham  of 
Windsor  also  attended,  but  was  not  given  a  seat.  Con- 
ditions in  New^  England,  and,  indeed,  throughout  the 
country  were  in  a  deplorable  condition,  but  these  con- 
ditions did  not  warrant  an  attitude  toward  the  National 
Government  which  came  perilously  near  treason. 
V^ermont  may  well  be  proud  that  it  was  not  officially 
represented  in  the  Hartford  Convention. 

Although  the  battle  of  Plattsburg  was  a  notable 
American  victory,  the  presence  of  sixteen  thousand 
veteran  British  troops,  with  a  train  of  heavy  artillery, 
mounted  on  sleighs,  encamped  near  the  Canadian 
border,  was  a  menace  to  Vermont  and  New  York.  On 
September  19,  Governor  Chittenden  issued  a  proclama- 
tion, warning  the  citizens  of  the  State  of  the  danger  of 
another  invasion,  "earnestly  exhorting  all  the  good 
people  of  this  State,  by  that  love  of  country  which  so 
signally  distinguished  our  fathers  in  their  glorious  and 
successful  struggle  for  our  independence,  to  unite  both 
heart  and  hand  in  defence  of  our  common  interest,  and 
everything  dear  to  freemen."  He  recommended  that 
those  exempted  from  ordinary  militia  duty  organize 
companies  and  "stand  in  readiness  to  meet  the  approach- 
ing crisis."  Town  authorities  were  urged  to  provide 
ammunition  and  assist  the  militia. 

It  was  expected  that  a  winter  campaign  would  be 
organized  by  the  British  authorities  for  the  purpose  of 


EMBARGO   ACT   AND    WAR   OI<    1812     ]!>:) 

dcslruying-  the  Aincrican  llccL  at  Whitehall.  Uii  Jan- 
uary 9,  1815,  General  Strung  issued  general  orders,  call- 
ing attention  to  a  probable  invasion  of  the  State  and  the 
necessity  of  preparation  for  a  short  winter  campaign. 
"Every  one  must  be  aware,"  he  said,  "that  to  ourselves 
alone  we  are  to  look  for  security  and  defence,  the  regular 
force  on  our  frontiers  being  notoriously  inadequate  to 
withstand  any  serious  effort  of  the  enemy.  Prepara- 
tion, therefore,  becomes  indispensable."  Commanders 
of  companies  were  ordered  to  attend  to  the  matter  of 
making  sure  that  the  men  under  their  supervision  w'ere 
supplied  with  ammunition,  lie  also  urged  that  volun- 
teer companies  of  persons  exempt  from  duty  be  formed. 
With  the  opening  of  the  year  1815,  news  not  having 
arrived  of  the  signing  of  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  Governor 
Tompkins  of  New  York  became  alarmed  at  reports  of 
a  British  attack  on  Whitehall  by  way  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain.  As  a  result  he  wrote  Captain  Macdonough,  sug- 
gesting that  he  and  the  famous  naval  commander  consult 
with  the  Governor  of  Vermont  regarding  the  safety  of 
the  American  fleet.  Finally  the  authorities  at  Washing- 
ton became  apprehensive,  and  Macdonough  was  ordered 
to  Lake  Champlain  to  report  on  the  situation.  He  con- 
ferred with  Lieutenant  Budd,  visited  Burlington  and 
Plattsburg,  and  on  February  1,  1815,  reported  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  that  the  enemy  were  making  no 
preparations  that  indicated  an  attack  upon  the  American 
ships.  He  returned  to  Burlington  February  3,  and  on 
February  4  went  to  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained 
until  the  end  of  the  war. 


126  lUSTORV   OF   VERMONT 

The  army  officers  stationed  at  Burlington  assembled 
at  a  local  tavern  on  February  17  "to  express  their  joy 
at  the  splendid  and  important  victories  of  General  Jack- 
son and  at  the  prospect  of  a  national  peace."  Toasts 
were  drunk,  accompanied  by  the  discharge  of  cannon. 

The  war  ended  without  a  distinct  triumph  either  for 
American  or  British  arms  or  diplomacy.  The  Madison 
administration  secured  none  of  the  things  for  which  it 
went  to  war,  nor  did  Great  Britain  accomplish  any  of 
the  ends  which  that  nation  sought  to  gain.  It  was,  as 
Woodrow  Wilson  has  said,  a  "clumsy,  foolhardy,  hap- 
hazard war."  The  lack  of  military  and  naval  prepara- 
tion was  well  nigh  criminal  in  its  folly.  The  manage- 
ment of  military  affairs  was  scandalously  inefficient.  A 
fortunate  combination  of  circumstances  saved  this  coun- 
try from  disaster.  The  cessation  of  hostilities  came  as 
a  welcome  relief  to  the  two  nations  engaged  and  to  the 
warring  political  factions  in  America. 

Vermont  contributed  much  in  self  sacrifice  and 
patriotic  effort  during  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain, 
and  risked  much,  but  certain  events  of  that  period  cannot 
be  viewed  with  satisfaction.  There  is  something  to  be 
said  honestly  in  criticism  of  the  policy  which  involved 
this  country  in  war.  Many  able  and  patriotic  men  like 
John  Marshall  and  Daniel  Webster  opposed  it. 
But  making  all  concessions  demanded  by  fairness,  for 
honest  opposition,  one  cannot  consider  Governor  Chit- 
tenden's hesitant,  not  to  say  obstructive  military  policy, 
and  the  notorious  and  wholesale  smuggling  operations 
and  open  traffic  with  the  enemy,  without  a  sense  of 
humiliation. 


Cn.\i'Ti:R  XXXT 


THE  J':\ULL'TiUX   OF  A   STATE 


THE  close  of  the  Second  War  with  Great  Britain 
marked  distinctly  the  beginning  of  a  new  epoch 
in  American  history.  This  change  was  not  due 
to  any  notable  military  triumph.  \Vilh  the  exception 
of  fMattsburg,  New  Orleans  and  a  few  other  victories, 
ihc  war,  generally  speaking,  was  a  series  of  disappoint- 
ments and  humiliations  for  the  American  people,  which 
was  the  natural  result  of  lack  of  preparation,  both  on  land 
and  sea.  But  indirectly  the  United  States  had  won  much. 
There  had  been  developed,  or  was  developing,  a  spirit  of 
self  reliance,  of  national  consciousness,  that  was  to  re- 
lease America  from  that  dependence  upon  European 
nations  which  hitherto  had  been  a  characteristic  feature 
of  the  national  life.  Notwithstanding  the  facts  that 
business  was  prostrated,  particularly  in  New  England, 
and  that  the  currency  was  disorganized,  the  Embargo 
Act  and  war  conditions  had  compelled  America,  from 
sheer  necessity,  to  develop  manufacturing  industries. 
Out  ')f  this  new-  industrial  movement,  checked  for  a 
time  by  heavy  importations  following  the  declaration  of 
])eace,  there  grew  a  demand  for  a  protective  tarifif,  and 
a  policy  of  internal  improvements,  better  highways, 
ambitious  canal  projects,  and  the  development  of  steam 
transportation  on  water  and  later  on  land.  Like  a  flood 
that  had  overflowed  its  banks,  emigration,  in  an  ever  in- 
creasing stream,  poured  into  western  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania  and  spread  out  over  Ohio,  Indiana  and  the 
Central  Western  region,  penetrating  even  to  the  South- 
west. America  no  longer  was  a  fringe  of  States  along 
the  Atlantic  seaboard,  but  a  new  nation;  and  the  sense 
of  power  that  came  from  colonizing  this  great  and  fer- 


130  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

tile  region  contributed  mightily  to  the  growth  of  a  spirit 
of  nationalism,  to  a  sense  of  youth  and  vigor  and  free- 
dom that  gloried  in  its  achievements  and  faced  the 
future  with  eagerness  and  confidence. 

With  all  these  notable  movements  there  came  a 
gradual  dissolution  of  political  parties,  and  for  several 
years  freedom  from  a  partisanship  that  had  embroiled 
the  nation  in  bitter  strife  for  two  decades. 

Vermont,  like  the  other  New  England  States,  was  in 
a  serious  condition  when  a  readjustment  to  peace  con- 
ditions was  made.  Hollister  in  his  "History  of  Pawlet," 
says:  "The  close  of  the  war  (of  1812)  found  industry 
paralyzed,  property  depreciated,  banks  broken,  even  the 
Vermont  State  Bank,  and  all  branches  of  business  nerve- 
less and  drooping.  Those  who  had  contracted  debts  in 
the  flush  times  of  the  war  could  not  meet  them.  The 
laws  then  allowed  imprisonment  for  debt.  The  really 
poor  would  go  to  jail,  and  after  a  few  weeks'  probation 
'swear  out'.  Some  who  could  not  do  that  would  give 
bail  and  secure  the  liberty  of  the  jail  yard.  All  legal 
devices  were  employed  that  would  stave  off  the  payment 
of  debts.  Doubt  and  distrust  pervaded  every  rank  of 
society." 

In  his  oration  on  the  death  of  Daniel  Webster,  deliv- 
ered nearly  forty  years  later,  Plon.  William  C.  Bradley, 
alluding  to  this  period,  said :  "During  the  war  the  for- 
eign commerce  of  the  Union  had  been  almost  annihi- 
lated ;  our  merchant  ships  were  lying  on  the  docks ;  and 
to  supply  the  wants  of  the  people,  factories  of  some  kind 
or  other  had  1)een  established  all  over  the  land.  When 
peace  came,  the  vessels  darted  from  every  port,  the  com- 


Tlll^   1^\^()IA  TlOX    Ol^^   A    S'lW'lM-:         131 

mcrce  of  the  country  s|)rcacl  with  new  vigor  into  every 
cHnie;  immense  importations  of  merchandise  took  place, 
and  the  infant  manufactories  were  ahnost  crushed.  In 
this  way  a  complete  antagonism  was  created  between  the 
mercantile  and  manufacturing  interests." 

Almost  over  night,  following  the  news  of  the  signing 
of  the  peace  treaty,  the  prices  of  sugar,  tea  and  other 
imports  dropped  at  least  fifty  per  cent.  Flour,  cotton 
and  other  products,  for  which  there  was  a  demand 
abroad,  advanced  in  like  proportion.  British  manu- 
factured articles,  particularly  cotton  and  woolen  goods, 
flooded  our  markets,  and  w^re  sold  at  prices,  even  after 
the  comparatively  low  duties  were  paid,  that  made  Amer- 
ican competition  impossible.  British  fabrics  were  sold 
at  auction  in  many  instances,  to  hasten  their  sale. 

Many  little  factories,  utilizing  small  water  powers, 
had  been  built  in  Vermont  during  the  period  when  im- 
ports were  excluded;  and  not  a  few  of  these,  including 
woolen,  cloth  dressing  and  fulling  mills,  were  compelled 
to  shut  down.  The  opening  of  foreign  markets  brought 
great  prosperity  to  Southern  cotton  growers ;  but  to  New 
England  it  brought  competition  that  threatened  ruin, 
the  effects  of  which  have  been  seen  for  well  nigh  a  cen- 
tury in  national  policies  and  political  alignments. 

A  "History  of  Middlebury"  records  the  fact  that  at 
the  close  of  the  war  the  people  of  Addison  county  were 
almost  hopelessly  in  debt.  At  the  term  of  county  court 
held  in  June,  1817,  the  number  of  civil  cases  entered 
exceeded  five  hundred  and  most  of  them  were  for  the 
collection  of  debts. 


132  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

The  election  of  1815  indicated  the  waning  of  the 
Federalist  strength,  which  had  been  augmented  during 
the  war  by  many  persons  who  were  dissatisfied  w'ith  the 
manner  in  which  hostilities  were  conducted,  or  resentful 
because  trade  with  Canada  was  restricted.  Jonas 
Galusha  was  recalled  from  private  life  to  the  Governor- 
ship, although  his  majority  over  Governor  Chittenden 
was  not  large,  the  vote  being,  Galusha,  18,055;  Chitten- 
den, 16,032;  scattering,  571.  A  Republican  Council  was 
elected,  and  the  same  party  controlled  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives by  a  majority  of  thirteen.  William  A. 
Griswold  of  Danville  was  elected  Speaker. 

Governor  Galusha's  inaugural  address  was  devoted 
largely  to  a  justification  of  the  war  and  a  description  of 
the  unhappy  condition  of  the  nations  of  Europe  and 
Asia.  His  recommendations  were  few,  but  attention 
was  called  to  the  importance  "of  our  infant  manufac- 
tures, w^hich,  if  rightly  improved,  cannot  fail  to  increase 
our  w^ealth  and  real  independence." 

Among  the  legislative  acts  was  one  granting  the 
exclusive  right  to  navigate  the  Vermont  waters  of  Lake 
Champlain  by  means  of  steamboats  for  a  period  of 
twenty-three  years,  to  Amos  W.  Barnum  and  Enoch  D. 
Woodbridge  of  Vergennes,  and  Cornelius  P.  Van  Ness 
and  John  Winans  of  Burlington. 

Early  in  the  session  Governor  Galusha  communicated 
to  the  General  Assembly  amendments  to  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States  proposed  by  the  Legislatures  of 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  together  with  resolu- 
tions relating  lo  these  amendments  from  the  States  sub- 
mitting ihcm,  and  from   New   York,   New  Jersey  and 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        133 

Pennsylvanici.  These  amendments  were  based  on  the 
resohitions  adopted  by  the  Hartford  Convention,  and 
provided  that  Representatives  and  direct  taxes  should 
be  apportioned  according  to  the  number  of  free  persons 
and  those  bound  to  service  for  a  term  of  years,  and 
excluding  Indians  and  slaves;  that  no  State  should  be 
admitted  to  the  Union  without  the  concurrence  of  two- 
thirds  of  both  Houses  of  Congress;  that  Congress  should 
not  have  the  power  to  lay  an  embargo  on  United  States 
shipping  for  more  than  sixty  days;  that  a  two-thirds 
vote  should  be  required  to  enable  Congress  to  interdict 
commercial  relations  betw'een  the  United  States  and  any 
foreign  nation  or  its  dependencies;  that  a  declaration  of 
war  by  Congress  should  require  a  two-thirds  vote,  unless 
such  acts  of  hostility  should  be  in  defence  of  United 
States  territory  when  actually  invaded ;  that  no  person 
thereafter  naturalized  should  be  eligible  as  a  member 
of  either  branch  of  Congress,  or  capable  of  holding  any 
civil  office  of  the  United  States ;  that  a  President  should 
not  be  eligible  for  reelection,  nor  should  a  President  be 
elected  from  the  same  State  for  tw^o  consecutive  terms. 
The  Vermont  Legislature  refused  to  concur  in  these 
proposals  of  amendment. 

The  value  of  lands,  lots  and  houses  in  Vermont  in 
1815,  estimated  as  a  basis  for  levying  a  direct  tax,  w^as 
$32,461,120,  an  increase  of  $17,309,038  over  the  valua- 
tion made  for  a  similar  purpose  in  1798.  Windsor 
county  led  in  the  amount  of  property  assessed,  with  Rut- 
land county  second.  At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1816 
there  were  six  Republican  and  five  Federalist  newspapers 
in  Vermont. 


134  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

The  distress  caused  by  industrial  conditions  growing 
out  of  the  war  was  greatly  intensified  by  an  almost  total 
crop  failure  in  1816.  This  season  was  variously  known 
as  "the  cold  year,"  "the  famine  year"  and  "Eighteen 
hundred  and  froze  to  death."  Spring  weather  came  un- 
usually early  that  year,  and  there  were  copious  rains 
until  May,  followed  by  a  drouth  which  lasted  until  Sep- 
tember. On  the  night  of  June  8,  there  was  a  severe 
frost,  followed  by  a  fall  of  nearly  a  foot  of  snow,  which 
blew  into  drifts  two  or  three  feet  deep.  Corn  was 
killed,  but  in  some  instances  it  sprouted  again.  The 
leaves  on  the  trees  were  killed  and  the  beeches  did  not 
put  out  leaves  again  that  year.  Sheep  had  just  been 
sheared,  and  where  it  was  possible  the  fleeces  were  bound 
around  the  bodies  of  these  animals  to  keep  them  from 
freezing.  There  were  frosts  and  snow  in  every  month 
of  the  year,  although  only  a  few  flakes  fell  in  July  and 
August.  Winter  grain  was  a  fair  crop  but  other  crops 
and  grass  were  almost  complete  failures.  After  the 
June  storm  the  corn  which  had  sprouted  again  gave 
promise  of  maturing,  but  there  was  a  heavy  frost  on 
September  10,  just  as  the  ears  were  ready  for  roasting, 
which  put  an  end  to  the  hope  of  a  late  harvest.  A  few 
crops  of  poor  quality,  including  some  unripe  potatoes, 
were  harvested,  as  there  had  been  a  second  planting,  but 
little  that  ordinarily  would  have  been  considered  of 
value. 

There  was  great  suffering,  but  little  if  any,  actual 
starvation.  Days  of  fasting  and  prayer  were  observed 
in  the  churches.  As  a  rule,  people  helped  each  other 
generously,  dividing  the  little  they  possessed  with  others 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        135 

less  fortunate.  A  Coventry  family,  reduced  to  half  a 
loaf  of  bread,  divided  this  meagre  supply  with  a  neigh- 
bor. Many  sheep  and  cattle  perished,  owing  to  the 
failure  of  the  hay  crop.  Some  wheat  was  harvested  in 
the  milk,  and  by  heating  in  an  oven  it  could  be  mashed 
into  dough  and  baked  or  boiled  like  rice.  A  kind  of 
bread  was  made  by  boiling  and  mashing  potatoes  and 
mixing  this  substance  with  corn  meal  or  flour.  Vege- 
tables and  berries  w^ere  used  w:herever  possible  and  fish 
was  a  common  article  of  diet.  It  is  related  that  fish 
never  were  so  plentiful  in  the  Missisquoi  River  as  dur- 
ing this  famine  period.  There  were  at  least  ten  fish- 
ing grounds  between  Swanton  Falls  and  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  and  large  seines  were  kept  in  operation  night 
and  day.  People  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  State 
came  in  large  numbers  to  barter  maple  sugar  and  other 
articles  for  fish.  Everything  that  could  possibly  be 
eaten  was  utilized.  Nettles  w^ere  boiled,  the  roots  of 
vsild  turnips  were  gathered  and  hedgehogs  were  killed 
for  food. 

A  sloop  load  of  wheat  was  purchased  at  Chambly, 
Que.,  for  the  people  of  St.  Albans.  A  Waterford  man 
brought  a  quantity  of  corn  on  a  flat  boat  from  Connec- 
ticut and  sold  it  for  two  and  one-half  dollars  a  bushel. 
Rye  sold  for  three  dollars  a  bushel.  Flour  brought  from 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  Montreal  sold  at  prices  varying  from 
fifteen  dollars  to  seventeen  dollars  a  barrel.  The  weather 
in  the  fall  was  dry  and  cold  and  the  air  was  filled  w'ith 
dust.  In  1817  the  earliest  wheat  was  cut,  dried  by  arti- 
ficial heat  and  ground,  and  the  flour  divided  by  the  own- 
ers w^ith  those  w^ho  had  none.     The  season  of  1817  was 


136  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

noted  for  bountiful  crops,  particularly  of  wheat.  Favor- 
able seasons  followed  for  several  years,  and  farmers 
were  able,  as  a  result  of  good  harvests,  to  reduce  their 
debts. 

The  people  of  the  town  of  Worcester  were  so  dis- 
couraged that  most  of  them  left  town.  No  town  meet- 
ings were  held  for  several  years  and  the  town  lost  its 
organization  temporarily.  In  1818  only  one  family  re- 
mained. The  cold  season  induced  many  Vermont  fami- 
lies to  emigrate,  and  Ohio  was  a  favorite  "Land  of 
Promise." 

The  emigration  to  the  West  did  not  begin  at  this 
time.  It  had  been  a  well  developed  movement  for  more 
than  a  decade.  Beginning  with  a  migration  from  the 
older  communities  of  southern  Vermont  into  the  central 
and  northern  townships  of  the  State,  it  spread  into 
northern  and  western  New  York  and  to  the  fertile  val- 
leys of  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries.  During  the 
first  years  of  the  Nineteenth  century  a  colony  of  about 
one  hundred  persons  emigrated  from  South  Woodstock 
to  the  West,  some  going  as  far  as  Upper  Louisiana,  or 
Missouri.  In  1818,  eighty  persons  left  Woodstock  and 
joined  the  pioneer  movement.  Several  settlements  of 
considerable  size  in  the  town  of  Danby  were  entirely 
abandoned,  and  certain  highways  were  discontinued  on 
account  of  the  westward  movement.  Many  persons 
emigrated  to  the  Holland  Purchase  in  western  New  York 
and  several  townships  in  that  region  were  settled  almost 
entirely  by  families  from  Danby. 

It  is  related  in  the  "History  of  Pawlet"  that  emigra- 
tion was  unusually  heavy  in  the  period  between  1820  and 


'1111^  EVOLUTION   OF  A   STATE        i:37 

1830.  Great  canvas  covered  wagons,  drawn  by  horses 
or  oxen,  travelled  westward,  bearing  on  their  sides  the 
words,  "Boimd  for  the  Ohio."  The  population  of  Shore- 
ham  in  1820  had  decreased  one  hundred  and  sixty-two 
during  the  preceding  decade.  These  are  typical  in- 
stances which  may  be  duplicated  in  the  history  of  scores 
of  \'ermont  towns.  This  movement  in  no  sense  was 
confined  to  Vermont,  but  was  duplicated  in  practically 
all  of  the  settled  regions  of  New  England.  McMaster 
relates  that  in  1817,  within  the  space  of  one  month,  five 
hundred  and  eleven  wagons,  carrying  three  thousand, 
sixty-six  persons,  passed  through  Easton,  Pa.,  bound  for 
the  West.  During  the  year  1816  it  is  said  that  forty- 
two  thousand  persons  settled  in  Indiana.  According  to 
Henry  Adams  the  migration  to  the  West  following  the 
end  of  the  War  of  1812  became  almost  a  folk  movement. 
Although  the  Vermont  Federalists  in  1816  nominated 
for  Governor  Gen.  Samuel  Strong,  who  commanded  the 
Vermont  troops  in  the  battle  of  Plattsburg,  the  record 
of  the  party  itself  was  such  that  even  a  popular  ofificer 
could  not  avert  disaster,  and  Jonas  Galusha  w^as  re- 
turned to  the  Executive  office.  The  vote  was  as  fol- 
lows: Galusha,  17,262;  Strong,  13,888;  scattering,  102. 
General  Strong  carried  Chittenden,  Franklin,  Grand 
Isle,  Orleans  and  Windham  counties.  The  Republicans 
elected  their  ticket  for  members  of  the  Council  and  had 
a  majority  of  forty  in  the  Assembly.  The  successful 
Congressional  candidates  were  Heman  Allen,  Samuel  C. 
Crafts,  William  Hunter,  Orsamus  C.  Merrill,  Charles 
Rich  and  Mark  Richards,  all  of  them  Republicans,  and 
the  average  majority  was  tw-o  thousand,  nine  hundred. 


138  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Heman  Allen  was  born  in  Poultney,  Vt.,  in  1779, 
being  the  son  of  Heber  Allen.  His  father  died  while 
he  was  young  and  he  was  taken  into  the  home  of  his 
famous  uncle,  Ira  Allen,  and  treated  like  a  son.  He 
attended  Dartmouth  College,  graduating  in  1795,  and 
studied  law.  He  was  Sheriff  of  Chittenden  county, 
1808-09;  Chief  Judge  of  Chittenden  County  Court, 
1811-14;  and  an  active  member  of  the  Legislature,  1812- 
17.  He  served  as  Quartermaster  General  of  the  State 
militia  and  for  many  years  was  a  trustee  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Vermont.  He  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1817, 
but  resigned  in  1818  to  accept  the  office  of  United  States 
Marshal  for  the  district  of  Vermont.  From  1823  to 
1828  he  was  United  States  Minister  to  Chili.  In  1830 
he  was  elected  president  of  the  Burlington  branch  of 
the  United  States  Bank,  holding  that  position  until  the 
expiration  of  the  charter.  Later  he  removed  to  High- 
gate,  where  he  died,  April  9,  1852.  He  was  known  in 
later  years  as  *'Chili"  Allen  on  account  of  his  diplomatic 
service  in  South  America,  and  to  distinguish  him  from 
Heman  Allen  of  Milton.  Not  only  were  the  names  of 
the  two  men  similar,  but  both  were  lawyers,  both  were 
elected  to  Congress,  and  at  one  time  both  lived  in 
Burlington. 

Samuel  C.  Crafts  was  the  son  of  Col.  Ebenezer  Crafts, 
pioneer  settler  of  Craftsbury.  He  was  born  in  Wood- 
stock, Conn.,  October  6,  1768,  and  was  graduated  from 
Harvard  College  in  1790.  The  following  year,  1791, 
he  accompanied  his  father  to  Vermont  and  for  thirty- 
seven  consecutive  years  he  served  as  Town  Clerk  of 
Craftsbury.     In  1793  he  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        139 

Constitutional  Convention,  being  the  youngest  member 
of  that  body.  Again,  in  1829,  he  was  member  of  a  simi- 
lar convention,  and  was  elected  its  president.  He  repre- 
sented Craftsbury  in  the  Legislature  of  1796,  1800-01, 
1803  and  1805.  '  He  was  Clerk  of  the  House  in  1798 
and  1799;  Register  of  Probate,  1796-1815;  Assistant 
Judge  of  Orleans  County  Court,  1800-10;  Chief  Judge, 
1810-16  and  again  1825-28;  member  of  the  Council, 
1S09-13  and  1825-27;  member  of  Congress,  1817-25; 
United  States  Senator,  1842-43;  and  Presidential 
Elector  in  1840.  He  was  a  strong  and  able  man, 
although  modest  and  unassuming,  and  was  held  in  high 
esteem  by  the  people  of  the  State. 

William  Hunter  was  born  in  Sharon,  Conn.,  January 
3,  1754.  He  emigrated  to  Windsor  and  represented  that 
town  in  the  Legislatures  of  1795,  1807  and  1808.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Council  from  1809  until  1813,  and 
in  1815.  He  was  Register  of  Probate,  1798  to  1801, 
and  Judge  of  Probate,  1801-02.  From  1805  until  1816 
he  was  Assistant  Judge  of  County  Court,  and  served  as 
a  member  of  the  Council  of  Censors  in  1806  and  1820. 
His  Congressional  service  covered  only  one  term.  He 
died  November  30,  1827. 

Orsamus  C.  Merrill  was  born  in  Farmington,  Conn., 
June  18,  1775.  He  came  to  Bennington  in  1791  and 
served  as  an  apprentice  in  Anthony  Haswell's  printing 
office.  Later  he  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1805.  During  the  War  of  1812  he  served  as 
Major  of  the  Eleventh  U.  S.  Infantry,  Lieutenant 
Colonel,  first  of  the  Twenty-sixth  Infantry  and  later  of 
the  Eleventh  Infantry.     He  was  Register  of  Probate  in 


140  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

1815;  Clerk  of  the  Court  in  1816;  member  of  Congress, 
1817-19;  member  of  the  Legislature  and  of  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention,  1822;  State's  Attorney,  1823-24; 
member  of  the  Council,  1824-26;  a  member  of  the  first 
Vermont  Senate,  1836;  Judge  of  Probate,  1822,  1841-42 
and  1846.     He  died  April  12,  1865. 

Mark  Richards  was  born  in  Waterbury,  Conn.,  July 
15,  1760.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  enlisted  in  the  Ameri- 
can army  and  saw  service  at  Stony  Point,  Monmouth, 
Red  Bank  and  Valley  Forge.  He  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  in  Boston  and  acquired  a  competence.  Later  he 
removed  to  Westminster,  Vt.  He  represented  his  town 
in  the  Legislature  in  1801-02,  1804,  1824,  1826,  1828, 
1832  and  1834.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Council  of 
Censors  in  1806;  Sherifif  of  Windham  county,  1806-10; 
Presidential  Elector,  1812;  member  of  the  Governor's 
Council  in  1813  and  1815;  member  of  Congress,  1817- 
21 ;  and  Lieutenant  Governor  in  1830.  He  died  August 
10,  1844. 

The  Presidential  Electors  chosen  in  1816  were  Jona- 
than Robinson  of  Bennington,  James  Roberts  of  Whit- 
ingham,  Apollos  Austin  of  Orwell,  Asaph  Fletcher  of 
Cavendish,  Robert  Holley  of  Bristol,  John  H.  Colton  of 
Bradford,  William  Brayton  of  Swanton  and  Isaiah  Fisk 
of  Lyndon.  Vermont's  vote  was  cast  for  James  Mon- 
roe and  Daniel  D.  Tompkins.  Only  three  States, 
Massachusetts,  Connecticut  and  Delaware,  voted  for 
Rufus  King,  the  Federalist  candidate  for  President. 

The  Vermont  Legislature  organized  by  reelecting 
William  A.  Griswold  of  Danville  as  Speaker.  In  his 
annual  address  to  the  Legislature,  Governor  Galusha 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        141 

alluded  to  the  crop  failure  of  1816,  which,  he  said,  "is 
so  alarming  that  I  take  the  liberty  to  recommend  to 
}()U,  and  through  you  to  the  people  of  this  State,  the 
most  rigid  economy  in  the  early  expenditure  of  those 
articles  of  provision  most  deficient,  that  by  peculiar  pre- 
caution we  may  avoid,  as  far  as  possible,  the  foreboded 
evil  of  this  unparalleled  season."  He  declared  that  ''the 
depressed  situation  of  our  infant  manufactories,  since 
the  return  of  peace,  is  a  matter  of  serious  concern,"  and 
urged  that  any  encouragement  that  could  be  given  con- 
sistently should  not  be  withheld.  Reference  was  made 
to  the  receipt  of  a  letter  from  Hon.  DeWitt  Clinton  rela- 
tive to  the  appointment  of  a  New  York  commission  to 
examine  the  region  between  Lake  Champlain  and  the 
Hudson  River  and  report  on  the  practicability  of  canal 
construction.  In  his  Thanksgiving  proclamation,  issued 
in  October,  Governor  Galusha  declared  that,  "although 
the  Wise  Dispenser  of  events  has  seen  fit  in  His  holy 
providence  to  blast  our  expectations  In  the  latter  har- 
vest, yet  by  the  abundance  of  the  former  He  has  measur- 
ably secured  us  from  famine  and  distress." 

In  the  United  States  Senate  at  this  time  Senator  Chase 
was  Chairman  of  the  Judiciary  Committee  and  Senator 
Tichenor  ranked  second  on  the  Committee  on  Militia. 
A  moderate  increase  of  salaries  in  Congress  aroused 
great  resentment,  and  grand  juries  in  Vermont  and  else- 
where denounced  the  Compensation  Act. 

Although  the  spring  of  1817  was  backward,  which 
fact  could  not  fail  to  cause  serious  apprehension  on  the 
part  of  a  people  not  far  removed  from  actual  starvation, 
yet  the  Burlington  Sentinel  in  its  issue  of  July  25  alluded 


142  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

to  the  most  flattering  prospects  of  an  abundant  harvest 
"that  was  ever  known  by  the  farmer  since  the  first  set- 
tlement of  this  part  of  the  country."  The  same  news- 
paper called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  "Ohio  fever," 
so  prevalent  in  Vermont,  Maine  and  elsewhere,  had  been 
checked  "by  the  season's  pleasing  prospect  which  every- 
where surrounds  us."  Fortunately  the  crop  yields  were 
not  disappointing,  and  Governor  Galusha  in  his  Thanks- 
giving proclamation  in  the  fall  of  1817  was  able  to  refer 
with  gratitude  to  "the  unexpected  luxury  of  the  recent 
harvest." 

The  notable  event  of  the  year  1817  was  the  tour  of 
the  new  President,  James  Monroe,  through  the  Northern 
States.  Leaving  Washington  on  May  31,  accompanied 
by  General  Swift  and  Mr.  Mason,  his  Private  Secretary, 
he  visited  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  New  York  and  New 
England.  He  entered  Vermont  at  Norwich,  July  22, 
and  without  stopping  passed  through  that  town  to  Straf- 
ford, where  he  visited  the  copperas  works.  Later  he  re- 
ceived the  greetings  of  the  citizens  of  Strafford  and 
vicinity  and  returned  to  Curtis'  Hotel,  at  Norwich, 
where  an  address  of  welcome  was  presented.  After 
dinner  had  been  served  the  President  was  introduced  to 
a  company  of  men,  women  and  children,  who  had 
assembled  to  greet  him.  He  remained  in  Norwich  about 
two  hours,  and  in  the  afternoon  proceeded  to  Windsor, 
where  his  arrival  was  announced  by  the  ringing  of  bells 
and  the  firing  of  cannon.  Escorted  by  the  Jefferson 
Artillery  and  a  great  throng  of  people  from  Windsor  and 
surrounding  towns,  the  party  paused  in  front  of  Wind- 
sor  Academy   to   receive   the   greetings   of   the   young 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        143 

women  of  the  village,  proceeding-  thence  to  Pettes' 
Hotel.  When  the  President  arrived  at  this  inn  an  ad- 
dress was  delivered  by  Captain  Dunham,  one  of  the  most 
ardent  Federalists  of  Vermont,  which  is  said  to  have 
been  one  of  the  best  speeches  of  the  entire  tour.  In  his 
reply  President  Monroe  said:  "I  have  approached  the 
State  of  Vermont  with  peculiar  sensibility.  On  a  for- 
mer visit,  immediately  after  the  (Revolutionary)  War, 
I  left  it  a  wilderness,  and  I  now  find  it  blooming  with 
luxuriant  promise  of  wealth  and  happiness,  to  a  numer- 
ous population.  A  brave  and  free  people  will  never 
abandon  the  defence  of  their  country.  The  patriotism 
of  Vermont  has  been  relied  on  in  times  of  peril;  and  the 
just  expectation  of  their  virtue  was  honorably  sustained. 
I  shall  ever  rely  on  their  wisdom  in  the  councils  of  the 
nation,  as  on  their  courage  in  the  field." 

After  these  exercises  the  distinguished  guest  was  con- 
ducted to  his  apartments,  "where  a  most  splendid  and 
superb  dinner  was  prepared."  Later  the  President 
accepted  the  invitation  of  Mrs.  Josiah  Dunham  to  meet 
a  party  of  about  two  hundred  men  and  women.  During 
the  evening  an  address  was  presented  by  the  young 
women  of  Windsor  Female  Academy,  to  which  Mr. 
Monroe  replied  gallantly  to  the  effect  that  no  attention 
which  he  had  received  had  afiforded  him  greater  satisfac- 
tion. Although  he  was  conducted  to  his  lodgings  at  a 
late  hour  by  Captain  Thomas,  the  marshal  of  the  day, 
he  arose  on  Wednesday  morning,  July  23,  at  an  hour 
sufficiently  early  to  permit  him  to  leave  Windsor  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning  for  Woodstock,  after  taking  "an 
affectionate  leave"  of  the  citizens. 


144  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

At  Hartland  the  President  was  met  by  members  of 
the  committee  of  arrangements,  a  detachment  of  cavalry 
commanded  by  Captain  Mack,  and  a  cavalcade  of  citi- 
zens. The  arrival  of  the  party  at  Woodstock  was  an- 
nounced by  a  discharge  of  artillery,  the  President  enter- 
ing the  village  on  horseback  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon. The  citizens  were  formed  in  lines  on  either  side 
of  the  street,  and  passing  between  them  the  President 
proceeded  to  Mr.  Pratt's  house,  where  he  was  received 
by  the  local  committee  of  arrangements,  a  salute  being 
fired  by  Captain  Warner's  artillery  company  from  Bar- 
nard. An  address  of  welcome  was  delivered  by  Hon. 
Titus  Hutchinson,  to  which  the  President  made  a  fitting 
response. 

Passing  through  Royalton,  the  Presidential  party  fol- 
lowed the  White  River  valley  route,  and  on  Thursday 
morning  was  met  at  Berlin  by  the  Montpelier  committee 
of  arrangements.  Here  a  procession  was  formed. 
Two  companies  of  cavalry,  and  citizens  on  horseback  and 
in  carriages  acted  as  an  escort.  Shortly  before  eleven 
o'clock  a  discharge  of  artillery  announced  that  the  Presi- 
dent was  approaching  the  State  capital.  Alighting  from 
his  carriage,  the  Chief  Executive  mounted  a  horse  and 
rode  through  the  main  street,  the  citizens  being  assembled 
in  large  numbers  to  greet  him.  He  was  received  by 
the  First  Light  Company  and  conducted  to  the  State 
House,  the  Washington  Artillery  firing  a  national  salute. 
In  front  of  the  Capitol  more  than  three  hundred  academy 
students  and  pupils  of  the  public  schools,  dressed  in  neat 
uniforms,  were  drawn  up  in  two  lines.  The  President 
walked  between  them  with  uncovered  head,  bowing  his 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        145 

acknowledgments,  and  passed  under  an  evergreen  arch 
Ijearing  on  one  side  the  words,  "July  4,  1776,"  and  on 
the  other,  "Trenton,  Dec.  26,  1776."  On  the  second- 
story  portico  of  the  State  House,  in  the  presence  of  a 
great  multitude,  Hon.  James  Fisk,  a  personal  and  politi- 
cal friend  of  the  President,  delivered  an  address  of  wel- 
come. Mr.  Monroe  replied  in  a  brief  but  felicitous 
speech.  It  appears  that  Representatives'  Hall  was  used 
as  a  schoolroom  for  the  Academy  students,  when  the 
Legislature  was  not  in  session,  and  the  President  visited 
the  school,  inspecting  the  maps  and  globes.  The  pupils 
rose  to  receive  him,  and  the  preceptor,  Mr.  Hill,  offered 
him  a  bouquet,  saying,  'T  present  to  Your  Excellency 
the  finest  blossoms  and  the  fairest  flowers  that  our 
climate  produces."  The  President  replied,  ''They  are 
the  finest  that  nature  can  produce."  He  was  escorted 
by  the  Washington  Artillery  between  lines  of  citizens 
extending  from  the  Capitol  to  the  Cadwell  House,  where 
a  luncheon  was  served. 

The  President  then  resumed  his  journey,  arriving  at 
Burlington  Thursday  evening,  July  24.  A  great  num- 
l)er  of  citizens  had  assembled  at  Williston  to  greet  him, 
the  party  passing  between  mounted  men  drawn  up  on 
each  side  of  the  highway.  The  delegation  which  came 
out  to  w-elcome  the  Presidential  party  included  a  cavalry 
escort,  the  Selectmen,  the  University  faculty  and  the 
local  clergymen.  National  salutes  from  the  Battery  and 
one  of  the  United  States  galleys  in  the  harbor,  and  the 
ringing  of  bells  announced  the  President's  arrival  at 
Burlington.  Two  hundred  and  twenty  Academy  pupils 
greeted  the  distinguished  guest  as  he  passed.     An  ad- 


146  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

dress  of  welcome  was  delivered  by  Hon.  Daniel  Far  rand, 
and  in  his  response  the  President  referred  appreciatively 
to  the  gallant  naval  action  on  Lake  Champlain  in  which 
Macdonough  won  a  signal  victory.  He  assured  his 
hearers  that  the  Government  would  not  withhold  any 
practicable  measures  to  secure  the  town  from  invasion. 
A  dinner  was  served,  attended  by  prominent  residents 
of  the  village.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  dinner  the 
President  ofifered  this  toast:  "The  Citizens  of  Burling- 
ton— May  the  scenes  which  remind  them  of  the  glory  of 
their  country  continue  to  excite  their  patriotic  emula- 
tion." After  the  President  had  retired,  a  toast  in  his 
honor  was  drunk  standing.  Other  toasts  were  proposed 
by  Mr.  Mason,  the  President's  Secretary,  Colonel  Totten 
and  Hon.  Daniel  Farrand. 

In  the  evening  the  University  buildings  were  illumi- 
nated and  the  President's  name  was  shown  "in  an  elegant 
transparency."  On  Friday  morning  the  President  was 
the  guest  of  C.  P.  Van  Ness  at  breakfast,  after  which 
the  college  authorities,  the  local  clergymen  and  a  number 
of  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  presented  to  him.  The 
President  was  then  conducted  to  the  steamboat  Phoenix, 
salutes  being  fired  as  he  departed,  and  accompanied  by 
about  fifty  citizens  he  proceeded  to  Vergennes,  visiting 
the  shipyard  where  Macdonough's  fleet  was  built.  The 
Phoenix  carried  the  party  to  Rouses  Point,  where 
the  fort  just  begun  by  Colonel  Totten  of  the  United 
States  Engineers,  was  inspected.  The  President  then 
came  back  to  Plattsburg,  and  proceeding  to  Ogdensburg, 
Sackett's  Harbor,  Niagara  Falls,  Bufifalo  and  Detroit, 
completed  his  tour,  and  returned  to  the  national  capital 


'I'llK  KXOLUTION   OF  A   STATE        147 

in  September.  President  Monroe  may  not  have  been  a 
brilliant  statesman,  but  he  was  tactful  and  conciliatory, 
and  knew  how  to  make  friends,  a  quality  which  some  of 
his  successors  have  lacked.  The  most  active  Federalist 
partisans  were  cordially  greeted,  their  hospitality  was 
accepted,  and  as  a  result  there  followed  that  ''era  of 
good  feeling,"  appropriately  named,  which  came  as  a 
welcome  relief  after  a  period  of  bitter  partisan  strife. 

When  the  American  and  the  British  commissioners 
met  at  Ghent,  in  1814,  to  conclude  a  treaty  of  peace,  the 
latter  proposed,  at  the  first  conference,  that  the  boundary 
line  between  the  United  States  and  Canada  should  be 
re\ised.  Accordingly  there  was  embodied  in  the  Treaty 
of  Ghent  a  provision  for  ascertaining  the  international 
boundary  line  from  the  source  of  the  St.  Croix  River 
to  the  most  northwestern  point  of  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods.  The  British  Government  named  Thomas  Bar- 
clay as  its  representative,  and  President  Madison  ap- 
pointed as  commissioners  Cornelius  P.  Van  Ness,  an 
eminent  citizen  of  Vermont,  and  a  resident  of  Burling- 
ton, and  John  Holmes  of  Massachusetts.  The  commis- 
sion of  Mr.  Van  Ness  was  dated  April  3,  1816.  The 
first  meeting  of  what  was  known  as  the  Northeastern 
Boundary  Commission  was  held  at  Portland,  Me.,  and 
on  September  17,  1816,  the  members  sailed  for  St. 
Andrews,  N.  B.,  where  a  meeting  was  held  on  September 
23.  After  a  two  days'  session,  adjournment  was  taken, 
as  the  surveyors  had  not  arrived,  and  it  was  too  late  in 
the  season  to  begin  the  survey  of  the  boundary  line. 

When  the  commissioners  reassembled,  William  C. 
Bradley  of  Westminster,  Vt.,  appeared  as  Agent  on  the 


148  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

part  of  the  United  States,  with  a  commission  from 
President  Madison,  dated  February  7,  1817.  John 
Johnson  of  BurHngton  was  appointed  chief  surveyor  on 
the  part  of  the  United  States.  He  was  made  Surveyor 
General  of  Vermont  in  1812,  being  a  surveyor  of  un- 
usual skill  and  a  man  of  excellent  judgment.  Begin- 
ning the  work  in  1817,  with  Colonel  Bouchette,  repre- 
senting the  British  Government,  the  line  due  north  from 
the  head  of  the  St.  Croix  River,  in  eastern  Maine,  was 
traced  to  the  River  St.  John.  In  1818  this  work  was 
continued,  Colonel  Odell  representing  the  British  com- 
mission. The  line  was  surveyed  as  far  as  the  highlands 
designated  in  the  treaty  and  the  country  west  of  the  line 
running  due  north  was  explored.  The  British  commis- 
sion objected  to  carrying  beyond  the  River  St.  John  the 
line  running  north,  and  the  work  was  interrupted. 

It  had  been  planned  to  hold  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Boundary  Commission  in  1818  in  New  York,  but  by 
agreement  it  was  held  at  Burlington,  Vt.,  on  May  15  of 
that  year.  Other  meetings  were  held  at  Montreal,  St. 
Regis,  Boston  and  New  York.  After  considering  the 
questions  at  issue  from  September  20  until  October  4, 
the  debates  being  characterized  by  no  little  acrimony, 
with  no  prospect  of  reaching  an  agreement,  adjournment 
was  taken  until  the  following  year,  in  order  that  each 
commission  might  prepare  its  report.  In  a  statement 
prepared  by  Mr.  Van  Ness  he  said:  "The  obstacles  to 
be  encountered  have  been  great  and  numerous.  The 
whole  extent  of  the  country  from  the  source  of  the  River 
St.  Croix  north  to  the  River  St.  Lawrence,  and  between 
that  line  and  the  head  of  the  Connecticut  River,  is  one 


TIIK  KVOLinnoX   OF   A   STATK        Hf) 

vast  and  ciuirc  wilderness,  inhabilcd  by  nu  human  bcin*^- 
except  a  few  savages,  and,  in  one  spot,  a  few  French- 
men." Near  the  headwaters  of  the  Connecticut  River 
lliere  was  a  difference  between  tlie  American  and  the 
l>ritish  lines,  Mr.  Bradley,  the  American  Agenl,  claim- 
ing the  head  of  rialTs  Stream  as  the  proper  line  and  the 
British  Agent  holding  out  for  another  stream.  Mr.  Van 
Ness  was  inclined  to  doubt  the  advisability  of  insisting 
upon  Hall's  Stream  as  the  proper  boundary.  Some  of 
the  British  authorities  asserted  that  their  first  surveyor, 
Colonel  Bouchette.  had  been  "bullied"  by  Mr.  Johnson, 
and  Bouchette  was  discharged. 

In  the  fall  of  1818,  Doctor  Tiarks  and  Mr.  Hassler, 
astronomers,  respectively,  for  the  British  and  American 
commissions,  discovered  to  their  surprise  and  consterna- 
tion, that  just  east  of  Lake  Champlain  the  forty-fifth 
parallel  of  latitude  actually  ran  about  three-fourths  of 
a  mile  south  of  the  accepted  boundary  line,  surveyed  in 
the  preceding  century.  This  meant  that  a  fortification 
begun  at  Rouses  Point  by  the  United  States  Government 
was  actually  in  British  territory.  In  order  to  avoid  a 
local  uprising  this  discovery  was  not  made  public  at  the 
time.  Mr.  Bradley  put  forward  the  claim  that  the 
geocentric  instead  of  the  observed  latitude  should  be 
taken,  which  would  have  placed  the  boundary  line  thir- 
teen miles  farther  north.  Mr.  Van  Ness,  however,  did 
not  endorse  this  claim.  Disagreeing  reports  w^ere  filed 
bv  the  two  commissioners  and  the  surveyors  were  re- 
called. Other  negotiations  were  carried  on  from  time 
to  time,  without  arriving  at  a  settlement,  until  the  nego- 
tiation of  the  \\'ebster-Ashburton  Treatv  in  1842,  which 


150  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

ceded  to  the  United  States  the  land  in  the  vicinity  of 
Rouses  Point,  occupied  by  the  unfinished  fortification, 
called  in  derision,  "Fort  Blunder." 

In  a  letter  written  to  Henry  Clay  by  Albert  Gallatin, 
January  30,  1827,  from  London,  where  the  author  had 
been  sent  on  a  secret  diplomatic  mission,  the  boundary 
report  of  Mr.  Van  Ness  was  characterized  as  "conclusive 
and  remarkably  well  drawn";  and  in  the  same  letter  it 
was  stated  that  "Mr.  Bradley's  arguments  have  also 
great  merit,  and  embrace  or  allude  to  almost  all  that  can 
be  said." 

In  the  published  writings  of  Gallatin  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Van  Ness  is  included,  in  which  he  said:  "Whilst  in 
London  I  took  several  opportunities  in  my  correspond- 
ence with  our  Government  to  do  that  justice  to  which 
you  were  so  fully  entitled,  not  only  for  the  soundness  of 
your  decision  and  of  the  arguments  on  which  it  was 
founded,  but  for  the  impartiality  which  you  evinced 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  proceedings  under  the  com- 
mission. I  think  it  highly  honorable  to  the  country  that 
the  commissioner  appointed  on  the  part  of  the  United 
States  should  have  sustained  the  character  of  a  judge 
bound  on  his  oath  to  decide  as  such,  and  according  to 
evidence  and  the  general  principles  of  law,  and  should 
in  no  instance  have  permitted  himself  to  act  as  a  par- 
tisan. In  a  letter  written  on  the  same  day  to  William 
C.  Bradley,  Mr.  Gallatin  said:  "I  embrace  with 
pleasure  the  opportunity  of  acknowledging  the  great 
benefit  I  have  derived  from  your  able  arguments,  in 
which  you  maintained  an  evident  and  constant  superior- 
ity over  the  British  Agent." 


The  Second  State  House 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        151 

In  his  oration  on  Webster  Mr.  Bradley  said  of  the 
Northeastern  Boundary  negotiations:  "The  claim  of 
the  United  States  was  strong  f)n  the  side  of  Maine  and 
New  Hampshire,  hut  terribly  weak  on  that  of  Vermont 
and  New  York,  having  no  better  foundation  than  a  sur- 
vey, confessedly  incorrect,  made  of  a  portion  of  the  line 
previous  to  the  American  Revolution.  The  opposite 
party  was  desperately  resolved  on  securing  a  passage 
between  New  Brunswick  and  Quebec;  and  the  rights  of 
Maine  were  too  clear  to  be  surrendered  without  her  con- 
sent. We  failed;  and  the  failure  was  no  reproach, 
where  Gallatin  and  Livingston  could  not  succeed.  The 
two  nations  were  on  the  eve  of  an  outbreak  when  the 
English  Ministry  deputed  Lord  Ashburton,  a  highly  re- 
spectable nobleman,  but  more  conversant  with  commerce 
than  national  law,  to  confer  with  the  American  Secretary 
(Webster),  who  w^as  fully  versed  in  every  branch  of  the 
question.  *  *  *  They  succeeded  (in  negotiating  a 
treaty  settling  the  long  standing  boundary  dispute)  ;  and 
the  signature  of  Daniel  Webster  gave  to  Vermont 
ninety  square  miles  of  territory." 

In  her  ''Memoirs  of  William  C.  Bradley,"  Mrs.  S.  B. 
Willard  said:  ''In  this  work  (on  the  Boundary  Com- 
mission) which  lasted  five  years,  he  did  what  he  esteemed 
the  great  service  of  his  life.  Through  the  wild  region 
of  the  northeast  frontier  he  went  in  person,  and  laid 
down  the  line,  which,  rejected  by  Great  Britain,  and 
disputed  over  with  an  acrimony  that  well  nigh  ended  in 
war,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  adopted  in  the 
Ashburton  Treatv."     It  is  onlv  justice  to  John  Johnson. 


152  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

the  American  surveyor,  to  say  that  the  line  finally  agreed 
upon  as  the  boundary,  was  surveyed  by  him. 

In  a  speech  made  in  the  Senate  by  Mr.  Webster,  on 
April  6  and  7,  1846,  defending  the  Treaty  of  Wash- 
ington, he  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  Rouses  Point 
was  the  key  to  Lake  Champlain,  and  when  it  was  learned 
that  the  site  of  an  American  fortification  was  on 
British  territory,  engineers  were  sent  to  examine  the 
shores  of  the  lake  to  find  some  other  site  suitable  for  a 
fort.  Windmill  Point  on  the  Vermont  shore  and  Stony 
Point  on  the  New  York  shore  were  suggested.  These 
were,  however,  inferior  to  Rouses  Point,  of  which  Mr. 
Webster  said  that  "on  the  whole  frontier  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  with  the  single  exception  of  the  narrows 
below  the  city,  there  is  not  a  point  of  equal  importance." 
After  relating  how  Rouses  Point  was  secured  for  the 
United  States,  he  continued:  "The  same  arrangement 
gave  us  a  similar  advantage  in  Vermont.  *  *  * 
That  State  got  about  sixty  or  seventy  thousand  acres, 
including  several  villages,  which  would  otherwise  have 
been  left  on  the  British  side  of  the  line." 

The  Federalists  sought  to  stay  the  dissolution  of  that 
party  by  nominating  Senator  Tichenor  for  Governor  in 
1817,  but  he  carried  only  Grand  Isle  and  Windham 
counties,  the  vote,  which  w^as  unusually  light,  Ijeing  as 
follows:  Galusha,  13,756:  Tichenor,  7.430.  In  his 
inaugural  address  Governor  Galusha  expressed  his 
gratification  that  the  "luxuriant  harvest"  had  removed 
all  anxiety  concerning  the  food  supply.  Tie  referred  to 
the  embarrassment  caused  by  the  deficiency  of  a  circulat- 
ing medium,  due  in  part  to  the  scarcity  of  money,  at  the 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        153 

close  of  the  war,  and  in  pari  U)  ihe  fact  that  many 
emigrants  had  converted  their  property  into  cash  and 
had  taken  it  West  willi  iheni.  Ijy  a  vote  of  109  lo  17 
it  was  voted  not  to  appoint  a  committee  to  draft  a  reply 
to  the  Governor's  speech,  and  the  old  custom  was 
abandoned. 

William  A.  Griswold  again  was  elected  Speaker.  The 
circulation  of  bank  bills  not  payable  in  specie  was  pro- 
hibited. Acts  were  passed  to  ascertain  the  number  of 
deaf  and  dumb  persons  in  the  State,  to  determine  the 
amount  of  the  State's  claims  against  the  United  States 
growing  out  of  the  recent  war,  and  incorporating  the 
Windsor  Bank.  The  Assembly  concurred  in  the  consti- 
tutional amendment  proposed  by  Massachusetts,  provid- 
ing that  for  the  purpose  of  electing  Representatives  in 
Congress  and  Presidential  Electors,  the  States  should 
be  divided  into  districts  composed  of  contiguous  terri- 
tory and  containing  as  nearly  as  possible  an  equal  num- 
ber of  inhabitants,  but  the  Governor  and  Council  refused 
to  concur.  It  was  declared  inexpedient  to  ratify  the 
amendment  proposed  by  Kentucky,  providing  that  no  law 
varying  the  compensation  of  the  members  of  Congress 
should  take  effect  until  the  expiration  of  the  term  for 
which  the  mem1)ers  who  enacted  the  meastire  had  been 
chosen.  A  bill  to  divide  the  State  into  Congressional 
districts  w'as  defeated  by  a  narrow  margin. 

Hon.  Dudley  Chase,  having  resigned  his  seat  in  the 
United  States  Senate  to  become  Chief  Judge  of  the  Ver- 
mont Supreme  Court,  a  position  wdiich  he  held  until 
1820,  James  Fisk  was  elected  as  his  successor,  on 
November  4,  1817.     Mr.  Fisk  had  served  in  Congress 


154  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

from  1805  to  1809  and  from  1810  to  1815,  where  he  had 
held  a  prominent  position,  being  one  of  the  most  active 
members  of  that  body,  holding  responsible  committee 
positions  and  frequently  participating  in  House  debates. 
He  had  served  on  the  Supreme  Court  bench  during  the 
years  1815  and  1816,  and  came  to  the  Senate  well 
equipped  for  the  position.  His  term  of  service,  how- 
ever, was  very  brief.  On  January  29,  1818,  Senator 
Fisk  resigned  to  accept  the  position  of  Collector  of  Cus- 
toms for  the  district  of  Vermont,  which  he  held  for  eight 
years.  This  appointment  and  the  election  of  Judge 
Chase,  furnish  additional  evidence  of  the  preference 
often  shown  during  the  early  history  of  Vermont  for 
State  rather  than  Congressional  positions. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  Nineteenth  century  the 
excessive  use  of  intoxicating  liquors  became  a  great  evil 
in  Vermont,  as  it  did  elsewhere.  A  few  years  before 
the  outbreak  of  the  Second  War  with  Great  Britain,  dis- 
tilleries were  established  for  the  manufacture  of  potato 
whiskey,  and  the  surplus  of  the  coarser  grains,  which 
yielded  abundant  harvests,  and  were  utilized  for  the 
manufacture  of  liquors.  Corn  and  rye  whiskey  and 
cider  brandy  were  made  in  large  quantities.  There  was 
a  cider  mill  in  almost  every  school  district.  Farmers 
often  would  put  into  their  cellars  every  fall  from  ten 
to  twenty  barrels  of  cider,  and  sometimes  more.  There 
were  ten  distilleries  in  the  town  of  Poultney,  four  in  the 
town  of  Shelburne,  thirty  in  Chittenden  county  »and 
approximately  two  hundred  in  the  State  of  Vermont. 
Hogs  were  kept  at  the  distilleries  and  were  fattened  on 
the  waste  products. 


TIliC   J{\UlvUT10X    UK   A   STATE         155 

There  was  a  bar  in  every  tavern,  and  li(iuurs  were 
considered  as  necessary  as  food. 

Merchants  kept  their  own  freight  teams  and  farmers 
carried  their  produce  to  market,  often  to  Boston, — every 
winter.  This  necessitated  many  taverns.  For  example, 
there  was  one  hostelry  in  Shelburne  village  and  four 
between  that  village  and  Burlington,  a  distance  of  six 
miles.  Some  of  these  old  taverns  are  still  to  be  seen  on 
not  a  few  of  our  country  roads.  As  practically  all  Ver- 
mont's freight  and  passenger  traffic  was  transported  by 
teams  over  the  highways  there  was  much  business  for 
the  hotels.  The  effect  of  the  congregating  of  teamsters 
and  passengers  at  the  taverns  promoted  the  drinking 
habit.  Liquors  formed  one  of  the  principal  articles  of 
merchandise  in  general  stores.  Heavy  drinking  was 
customary,  although  the  evil  effects  were  lessened  some- 
what by  the  facts  that  liquors  were  seldom  adulterated 
and  that  the  vigorous  life  out  of  doors  led  by  most  men 
rendered  them  less  susceptible  to  the  ordinary  effects  of 
intemperance  than  men  of  a  less  active  manner  of  life. 
Liquors  were  set  forth  on  almost  every  public  occasion, 
and  there  was  excessive  drinking  at  weddings,  funerals, 
on  military  training  days,  at  sheep  washings  and  in  hay- 
ing. Clergymen  were  treated  freely  as  they  made  their 
rounds  of  parish  visits,  and  often  took  a  glass  of  grog 
before  entering  the  pulpit.  Many  members  of  the  con- 
gregations carried  flasks  of  cider  brandy  to  church, 
which  were  passed  around  during  the  intermission 
between  the  first  and  the  second  service. 

The  manufacture  of  liquors  flourished,  particularly 
durinq-  the  \A\ir  of  1812  and  the  period  immediately  pre- 


156  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

ceding,  when  importation  was  checked.  It  is  said  that 
from  twenty  to  twenty-five  hogsheads  of  Hquor  were 
sold  annually  in  Shelburne,  where  conditions  were  in  no 
way  exceptional.  In  the  "History  of  Hartford,  Vt," 
it  is  related  that  on  the  day  after  the  news  of  the  end  of 
the  War  of  1812  was  received,  the  price  of  whiskey  de- 
clined from  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  to  thirty-three 
cents  per  gallon.  One  store  had  two  thousand  gallons 
on  hand.  With  the  coming  of  peace,  distilleries  became 
less  profitable. 

Temperance  reform  began  as  early  as  the  winter  of 
1817-18.  The  evils  of  intemperance  in  Vermont  were 
so  serious  that  before  the  Legislature  of  1817  adjourned 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  investigate  the  excessive 
use  of  ardent  spirits,  headed  by  Governor  Galusha,  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  Brigham,  Speaker  Griswold  and  some 
of  the  State's  most  eminent  men.  The  report  of  the 
committee  occupied  several  newspaper  columns.  The 
evils  of  intemperance  were  set  forth  at  length  and  the 
statement  was  made  that  the  annual  cost  of  distilled 
liquors,  consumed  in  the  States,  could  not  be  much  less 
than  one  million  dollars.  The  growth  of  the  temperance 
spirit  in  the  East  was  encouraged  by  a  series  of  power- 
ful sermons  delivered  by  Rev.  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher,  which 
were  widely  circulated.  The  formation  of  total  al)sti- 
nence  societies  began  about  this  time,  and  by  1840  the 
movement  became  vigorous  and  aggressive,  when  the 
so-called  Washingtonian  temperance  reform  movement 
began  in  this  State.  A  little  later  organizations  known 
as  Sons  of  Temperance  were  formed.  It  is  said  that 
nt   the  close  of  the  vear  1820  more  tlian  <^ne  thousand 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        157 

icniperance  societies  had  been  organized  in  the  United 
States,  and  that  the  importation  of  intoxicating  liquors 
into  this  country  had  decreased  from  an  amount  vakied 
at  more  than  five  milHon  dollars  in  1824  to  about  one 
million,  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  1830. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  second  decade  of  the  Nine- 
teenth century  many  agricultural  societies  were  formed. 

President  Monroe  issued  a  proclamation  on  April  28, 
1818,  in  regard  to  naval  forces  on  Lake  Champlain,  in 
accordance  with  the  treaty  with  Great  Britain,  by  the 
terms  of  which  the  naval  strength  was  confined  to  one 
ship  for  each  nation,  each  armed  with  one  eighteen- 
pound  cannon. 

For  a  considerable  period  Senator  Tichenor  served 
on  the  Military  Affairs  Committee  and  was  active  in 
matters  relating  to  the  army.  On  November  30,  1818, 
he  introduced  a  resolution  providing  for  a  gradual  reduc- 
tion in  the  number  of  Supreme  Court  Judges,  a  restric- 
tion of  their  duties,  and  the  organization  of  a  Circuit 
Court  in  each  State.  This  bill  passed  the  Senate  by  a 
vote  of  22  to  14. 

Toward  the  end  of  July,  1818,  the  body  of  Gen. 
Richard  Montgomery,  killed  in  the  assault  on  Quebec, 
December  31,  \77S,  and  l)uried  near  the  ramparts  of  that 
city,  was  disinterred  and  taken  to  New  York  for  burial. 
It  was  conveyed  through  Lake  Champlain  on  the  steam- 
boat Phoenix,  which  was  draped  in  black,  the  flags  flying 
at  half  mast.  At  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  the  body  was  met 
by  a  military  escort. 

A  storm  of  protest  was  aroused  as  the  result  of  a 
legislative  caucus  held  at  Montpelier  in  the  fall  of  1817, 


158  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

because  some  members  of  Congress  were  not  renomi- 
nated. Congressmen  Allen  and  Hunter  had  declined  to 
be  candidates  for  reelection,  but  Samuel  C.  Crafts  was 
not  renominated.  This  action  aroused  considerable 
resentment,  as  did  the  failure  to  nominate  Ezra  Meech 
of  Shelburne,  whom  a  district  caucus  had  endorsed. 

There  was  no  regular  Federalist  ticket  in  1818.  Gov- 
ernor Galusha  received  15,243  votes  and  749  scattering 
votes  were  cast.  The  caucus  candidates  for  Congress 
were  Mark  Richards  of  Westminster,  Rollin  C.  Mallary 
of  Poultney,  William  Strong  of  Hartford,  Charles  Rich 
of  Shoreham,  William  A.  Griswold  of  Danville  and 
John  Peck  of  Waterbury.  Three  of  these  candidates, 
Messrs.  Rich,  Strong  and  Richards,  were  successful. 
Congressman  Crafts  was  reelected,  and  Congressman 
Merrill  was  given  a  certificate  of  election  after  a  close 
contest  in  which  four  candidates  participated.  Ezra 
Meech  was  also  elected,  being  the  only  successful  can- 
didate who  had  not  previously  served  in  Congress.  He 
was  born  in  New  London,  Conn.,  July  26,  1773,  and 
with  his  parents  came  to  Hinesburg,  Vt.,  in  1785. 
Beginning  as  a  trapper,  he  became  engaged  in  the  fur 
business,  sometimes  bringing  large  packs  on  his  back 
from  Canada.  He  also  conducted  a  general  store  in 
Charlotte  and  owned  a  farm.  Later  he  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business,  selling  much  oak  timber  at  Quebec. 
He  was  very  successful  in  business  and  accumulated 
large  wealth.  He  became  one  of  the  largest  landed  pro- 
prietors in  the  State,  owning  approximately  three  thou- 
sand, five  hundred  acres  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
represented  Charlotte  in  the  Legislature  in  1805  and  in 


TIJK  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        159 

18U7;  was  Chief  Judge  of  Chittenden  County  Court, 
1822-24;  and  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
\ention  of  1822.  lie  ser\'ed  a  second  term  in  Congress, 
1825-27.  During  the  period  when  the  Anti-Masonic 
party  was  in  power  he  was  more  than  once  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  Governor.  Later  he  became  a 
Whig,  and  was  a  Presidential  Elector  in  1840.  During 
the  last  years  of  his  life  he  resided  in  Shelburne,  where 
he  died,  September  23,  1856,  aged  eighty-three  years. 

The  Legislature  organized  by  electing  as  Speaker 
Richard  Skinner  of  Manchester.  In  his  inaugural  ad- 
dress Governor  Galusha  alluded  to  the  fact  that  crops 
were  less  productive  than  formerly,  w-hen  the  land  was 
new,  and  he  recommended  the  organization  of  agricul- 
tural societies  to  consider  better  methods  of  farming 
and  the  improvement  of  the  breeds  of  domestic  animals. 

William  A.  Palmer  of  Danville  was  elected  United 
States  Senator  to  complete  the  unexpired  term  of  James 
Fisk,  resigned,  and  for  the  full  term  of  six  years  begin- 
ning in  March,  1819.  He  w-as  born  in  Hebron,  Conn., 
September  12,  1781.  Having  lost  part  of  one  hand  by 
accident,  he  decided  to  study  law.  He  came  to  Vermont 
about  the  time  he  attained  his  majority,  and  studied  law 
in  the  office  of  Daniel  Buck  of  Chelsea.  About  1805 
he  settled  in  St.  Johnsbury.  Two  years  later  he  was 
appointed  Judge  of  Probate  and  County  Clerk  and  re- 
moved to  Danville.  He  held  the  former  office  one  year, 
and  held  it  later,  from  1811  until  1817.  The  latter  office 
he  held  until  1815.  He  represented  Danville  in  the 
Legislature  in  1811-12.  1818,  1825-26  and  1829.  He 
was  a  State  Senator  in  1836-37  and  was  a  member  of 


IGO  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

the  Constitutional  Conventions  of  1828,  1836  and  1856. 
He  was  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  1816  and  was 
reelected  in  1817,  but  declined  to  serve.  He  served  one 
term  in  the  United  States  Senate  and  was  Governor  of 
Vermont  from  1831  to  1835.  He  died  December  3, 
1860. 

During  the  legislative  session  of  1818  crimes  and 
their  penalties  were  redefined.  The  capital  crimes  in- 
cluded treason,  nmrder,  false  witness  which  caused  the 
life  of  a  person  to  be  taken,  and  arson  resulting  in  death 
or  bodily  injury.  A  new  militia  law  was  passed,  which 
provided  that  all  able-bodied  white  male  citizens  were 
subject  to  militia  duty.  There  were  numerous  excep- 
tions, including  public  ofiicials,  clergymen,  elders  and 
deacons,  Quakers,  schoolmasters,  students  of  colleges 
and  academies,  physicians,  millers,  ferrymen  and  stage 
drivers.  Persons  "conscientiously  scrupulous  of  bear- 
ing arms"  were  released  on  taking  an  oath  to  that  effect 
and  paying  two  dollars  each  year  to  the  Captain  of  the 
company  which  the  objector  would  naturally  join.  The 
State  was  divided  into  Congressional  districts  as  f ollow,s : 

First  District — Bennington  county  and  Rutland 
county,  eight  towns  excepted. 

Second  District — Windham  ccnmty  and  six  towns  of 
Windsor  county. 

Third  District — Addison  county,  eight  towns  of  Rut- 
land county,  four  of  Washington  county  and  six  of  Chit- 
tenden county. 

Fourth  District — Most  of  Windsor  county  and  eight 
Orange  county  towns. 


THE  EVOI.UTION   Ol-    A    STATE        101 

Fifth  District — l^^-anklin,  Grand  isle  and  Orleans 
counties,  most  of  Chittenden  county  and  four  Washing- 
ton county  towns. 

Sixth  District — Caledonia  and  I^ssex  counties,  part  of 
Orange  county  and  seven  Washington  county  towns. 

The  Bank  of  Burlington  was  incorporated  in  1818, 
after  the  bill  had  been  defeated  once  in  the  Council  by 
the  casting  vote  of  the  Governor.  Many  counterfeit 
bills  were  in  circulation  in  1818. 

At  the  opening  of  the  season  of  Congress,  late  in  the 
year  1818,  Senator  Palmer  took  his  seat.  The  House 
committee  assignments  of  Vermont  members  were: 
Claims,  Rich :  Elections,  Merrill ;  Foreign  Aflfairs, 
Allen;  Indian  Affairs,  Richards;  Public  Expenditure, 
Hunter;  Roads  and  Canals,  Crafts.  Early  in  1819 
Senator  Tichenor  introduced  a  bill  providing  for  a  better 
organization  of  the  Treasury  Department,  a  measure 
which  he  introduced  again  in  1820. 

Rollin  C.  Mallary  of  Poultney  contested  the  election 
of  Congressman  Merrill  and  on  January  13,  1820,  by  a 
vote  of  116  to  47  he  was  awarded  the  seat  by  the  House 
of  Representatives,  after  a  long  debate.  Rollin  C.  Mal- 
lary was  born  in  Cheshire,  Conn.,  May  27,  1784,  and 
coming  to  Vermont  at  an  early  age,  graduated  from 
Middlel3ury  College  in  1805.  He  studied  law  with 
Horatio  Seymour  at  Middlebury  and  Robert  Temple  at 
Rutland,  and  practiced  law  at  Castleton  from  1807  to 
1818,  when  he  removed  to  Poultney,  which  was  his 
home  thereafter.  He  was  Secretary  to  the  Governor 
and  Council,  1807-08,  1809-13  and  1815-20.  He  was 
State's  Attornev  of  Rutland  countv  from  1810  to  1813 


162  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

and  1815  to  1816.     His  eminent  career  in  Congress  and 
his  untimely  death  will  be  considered  elsewhere. 

The  Federalist  party  no  longer  was  an  active  force 
and  until  the  rise  of  the  Anti-Masonic  party  there  was 
in  Vermont  no  organized  opposition  to  the  Republican, 
later  known  as  the  Democratic  party.  No  candidate 
was  nominated  against  Governor  Galusha  in  1819.  The 
result  of  the  vote  for  Governor  was,  Galusha,  12,268; 
Bradley  (probably  William  C.),  1,035;  Dudley  Chase, 
658;  scattering,  1,085.  William  A.  Griswold  of  Dan- 
ville was  elected  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives. 

By  this  time  the  people  had  begun  to  feel  hard  times. 
In  his  inaugural  address,  Governor  Galusha  called  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  "while  we  enjoy  all  the  means  of 
wealth  and  happiness,  (there  is  a  general)  complaint  of 
the  scarcity  of  circulating  medium,  and  the  consequent 
distress  of  individuals  in  discharging  their  private  debts, 
and  managing  their  own  concerns."  He  was  of  the 
opinion  that  conditions  called  "loudly  for  investigation 
and  reform."  The  lack  of  economy  he  considered  the 
chief  cause  of  the  prevailing  distress.  He  believed  that 
where  banks  were  most  numerous  and  the  means  of 
credit  the  most  easy,  that  the  scarcity  of  money  was  the 
greatest.  He  seems  to  have  been  rather  critical  of 
banks  and  was  opposed  to  their  increase.  He  recom- 
mended the  propriety  of  passing  a  law  freeing  the  body 
of  debtors  from  arrest  and  imprisonment  for  small 
debts.  In  closing,  he  recommended  that  the  freemen 
of  the  State  at  the  next  election  choose  some  other  per- 
son for  Governor.     At  the  opening  of  the  session  Lieut. 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        163 

Gov.  Paul  Brigham,  who  had  held  public  office  for  more 
than  forty  years,  gave  notice  that  he  would  not  be  a 
candidate  for  reelection.  Acts  were  i)assed  exempting 
clergymen  from  taxation  and  abolishing  imprisonment 
for  debt  if  the  amount  owed  was  less  than  fifteen 
dollars. 

The  election  of  1820  brought  new  men  into  the  posi- 
tions of  Governor  and  Lieutenant  Governor,  Richard 
Skinner  of  Manchester  being  chosen  to  succeed  Gov- 
ernor Galusha,  and  William  Gaboon  of  Lyndon  was  the 
successful  candidate  for  second  place  on  the  ticket. 
D.  Azro  A.  Buck  of  Chelsea  w^as  elected  Speaker. 
Samuel  C.  Crafts,  Charles  Rich  and  Rollin  C.  Mallary 
were  reelected  members  of  Congress.  Three  new  Con- 
gressmen were  chosen,  Elias  Keyes  of  Stockbridge,  John 
Mattocks  of  Peacham  and  Phinehas  White  of  Putney. 

Elias  Keyes  was  born  in  Ashford,  Conn.,  April  14, 
1757.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Stockbridge 
and  represented  that  town  in  the  Legislature  from  1793 
to  1796,  from  1798  to  1802,  in  1818,  in  1820  and  from 
1823  to  1825.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Governor's 
Council  from  1803  to  1813  and  from  1815  to  1817.  He 
served  in  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1814,  was 
Assistant  Judge  of  Windsor  County  Court  from  1806 
to  1814,  and  Chief  Judge  from  1815  until  1817.  He 
served  one  term  in  Congress  and  died  July  9,  1844. 

John  Mattocks  was  born  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  March 
4,  1777,  being  the  son  of  Capt.  Samuel  Mattocks,  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  When  he  w^as  only  one  year  old 
he  came  to  Vermont  with  his  father.  He  studied  law  at 
Middleburv  and  at  Fairfield  and  was  admitted  to  the 


164  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

bar  in  1797.  He  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at 
Danville,  bnt  removed  soon  to  Peacham.  In  1806  he 
was  elected  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Vermont  State 
Bank.  He  re])resented  Peacham  in  the  Legislature  in 
1807,  1815-16,  and  1823-24,  and  was  a  Brigadier  Cxcn- 
eral  of  the  State  militia  in  1812.  He  served  three  terms 
in  Congress,  in  1821-23,  1825-27  and  1841-43.  He  was 
chosen  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1836  and  was  elected  Governor  on  the  Whig  ticket  in 
1843,  serving  one  term  and  declining  a  renomination. 
He  died  August  14,  1847. 

Phinehas  White  was  born  in  South  Hadley,  Mass., 
October  30,  1770.  He  graduated  from  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege in  1797,  studied  law  with  Charles  Marsh  at  Wood- 
stock and  Judge  Samuel  Porter  at  Dummerston  and 
began  the  practice  of  law  at  Putney  in  1800.  He  was 
Register  of  Probate,  1800-09;  Postmaster,  1802-09; 
State's  Attorney,  1813;  Judge  of  Probate,  1814-15;  rep- 
resented Putney  in  the  Legislature,  1815-20;  served  one 
term  in  Congress;  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional 
Conventions  of  1814  and  1836,  and  served  in  the  State 
Senate,  1836-37.  He  was  a  prominent  Mason,  being 
Grand  Master  of  the  Grand  Lodge.  He  died  July  6, 
1844. 

Vermont's  Presidential  Electors  in  1820  were  Jonas 
Galusha  of  Shaftsbury,  William  Slade,  Jr.,  of  Middle- 
bury,  Gilbert  Denison  of  Guilford,  D.  Azro  A.  Buck  of 
Chelsea,  Pliny  Smith  of  Orwell,  Ezra  Butler  of  Water- 
bury,  Aaron  Leland  of  Chester  and  Timothy  Stanley  of 
Greensboro.  The  electoral  vote  of  Vermont  was  cast 
for   James    Monroe   and    Daniel    D.    Tompkins.      The 


rim  KvoLrriox  of  a  state      i65 

reelection  of  President  Monroe  would  have  been  unani- 
mous had  it  not  been  for  the  action  of  one  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Electors,  who  cast  his  vote  for  John  Quincy 
Adams,  believing  that  Washington  alone  should  have 
the  honor  of  an  unopposed  election. 

Upon  retiring  from  office,  October  13,  1820,  Governor 
Galusha  expressed  his  gratitude  for  the  honors  he  had 
received  and  expressed  his  best  wishes  for  the  prosperity 
of  the  State.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  draft  an 
address  and  it  was  adopted  without  an  opposing  vote. 
A  similar  address  was  presented  to  Lieutenant  Governor 
Brigham. 

In  his  inaugural  address  Governor  Skinner  called 
attention  to  the  need  of  more  speedy  justice  in  court 
proceedings,  greater  care  in  the  settlement  of  estates, 
less  frequent  changes  in  the  office  of  Judge  of  Probate, 
and  amendment  of  the  taxation  laws.  He  declared  that 
the  action  of  Congress  in  admitting  to  the  Union  a  State 
without  a  provision  in  its  Constitution  forbidding 
slavery  **has  caused  general  surprise  through  the  State, 
and  excited  feelings  of  sincere  regret."  On  many  pub- 
lic questions  Vermonters  differed  widely  in  their  opinions 
but  there  was  substantial  unanimity  in  opposing  the 
existence  of  slavery. 

The  people  of  the  State  had  followed  with  interest  the 
attitude  of  their  Representatives  and  Senators  at  Wash- 
ington tov.^ard  the  various  bills  relating  to  the  admission 
of  Missouri  as  a  State.  As  early  as  1818  Mr.  Rich  had 
sought  to  amend  a  fugitive  slave  bill  so  that  any  Negro 
or  Mulatto  should  not  be  returned  to  slavery  without 
first  being  brought  into  a  court  of  record,  where  proof 


166  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

should  be  furnished  that  the  fugitive  was  a  slave.  A 
bill  to  prohibit  the  extension  of  slavery  into  United 
States  Territories  north  and  west  of  the  proposed  State 
of  Missouri  was  referred  to  a  select  committee  of  which 
Senator  Palmer  was  a  member.  On  a  motion  absolutely 
and  irrevocably  to  prohibit  the  holding  of  persons  as 
slaves  in  Missouri,  Senator  Tichenor  voted  in  the  affirma- 
tive and  Senator  Palmer  in  the  negative.  Senator 
Tichenor  voted  against  accepting  the  Missouri  Compro- 
mise bill,  and  Senator  Palmer  was  recorded  as  not  vot- 
ing. In  the  House  Mr.  Rich  spoke  in  favor  of  an  anti- 
slavery  amendment  to  the  Missouri  bill  and  all  of  the 
Vermont  Congressmen  voted  not  to  concur  with  the 
Senate  in  striking  out  the  provision  forbidding  the  hold- 
ing of  slaves. 

When  the  Missouri  bill  came  to  the  House,  Mr.  Mal- 
lary,  in  committee  of  the  whole,  moved  to  amend  an 
amendment  proposed  by  the  Committee  of  Thirteen,  of 
which  Henry  Clay  was  chairman,  by  declaring  that  the 
State  Constitution  should  contain  a  provision  "that 
neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  shall  ever  be 
allowed  in  said  State  of  Missouri,  unless  inflicted  as  a 
punishment  for  crimes  committed  against  the  laws  of 
said  State,  whereof  the  party  accused  shall  be  duly  con- 
victed; provided  that  the  civil  condition  of  those  persons 
who  now  are  held  to  service  in  Missouri  shall  not  be 
affected  by  the  last  provision."  This  amendment  was 
defeated  by  a  considerable  majority.  After  the  com- 
mittee of  the  whole  had  been  dissolved,  Mr.  Mallary  re- 
newed his  motion,  which  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  107 
to  61.     In  the  debate  on  the  citizenship  of  free  colored 


THE  E\'()LL"i^IOX   OF   A   STATE        107 

persons,  a  phase  of  the  Missouri  bill,  Mr.  Mallary  par- 
ticipated, citing  the  Constitution  of  Vermont  as  a  justifi- 
cation of  his  attitude.  Thomas  H.  Benton,  in  his 
"Abridgement  of  the  Debates  of  Congress,"  said  of  those 
who  took  ])art  in  this  discussion.  "These  speakers  were 
all  eminent  men,  of  weight  in  their  day,  and  who  will 
not  be  without  it  as  long  as  their  works  shall  be  known." 
The  Vermont  Legislature  in  1819  had  adopted  a  reso- 
lution, ofifered  by  Stephen  Haight  of  Monkton,  provid- 
ing for  the  appointment  of  a  committee  of  four  members 
to  inquire  into  the  expediency  of  adopting  a  memorial 
to  Congress  urging  that  body  to  prohibit  the  further 
introduction  of  slavery  into  the  Territr)ries  of  the 
United  States.  Tw^o  weeks  before  its  introduction  the 
Vermont  Colonization  Society  was  organized  to  aid  in 
the  return  of  colored  persons  to  Africa.  Governor 
Galusha  presided  and  some  of  the  ablest  men  in  Ver- 
mont w^ere  enrolled  as  members.  Resolutions  were 
adopted  by  the  Legislature  commending  this  work.  The 
legislative  committee  appointed  in  accordance  with  Mr. 
Haight's  motion  reported  on  November  11,  1819,  reso- 
lutions declaring  that  "the  General  Assembly  of  the  State 
of  Vermont  view  with  deep  concern  the  attempt  to  intro- 
duce slavery  into  the  Territories  of  the  United  States; 
and  to  legalize  it  in  States  to  be  admitted  to  the  Union. 
They  regard  it  as  a  measure  manifestly  tending  to  in- 
crease and  perpetuate  an  evil  of  no  ordinary  magnitude 
and  danger."  Senators  were  instructed  and  Repre- 
sentatives requested  to  act  in  accordance  with  the  spirit 
of  these  resolutions.     They  were  read  and  adopted,  but 


168  ITISTORV    OV   \'KR]\IOXT 

on    November    U>   the   measure   was   reconsidered    and 
dismissed. 

The  portion  of  Governor  Skinner's  speech  referring 
to  slavery,  at  the  opening  of  the  legislative  session  of 
1820,  was  referred  to  a  special  committee  of  seven  mem- 
bers, headed  b\-  Chauncev  Langdon  of  Castleton, 
together  with  resolutions  from  the  Legislature  of  \'lr- 
ginia  on  the  same  subject.  This  committee  on  Novem- 
ber 15  presented  at  considerable  length  a  report  and  reso- 
lutions which  declared  in  language  as  strong  as  the  Eng- 
lish langiiage  would  permit,  \'ermont's  abhorrence  of 
slavery  and  all  its  works.  The  re]iort  declared  that  "the 
history  of  nations  demonstrates  that  involuntary  servi- 
tude not  only  plunges  the  slave  into  the  depths  of  misery, 
but  renders  a  great  proportion  of  ( the)  community  de- 
pendent and  wretched,  and  the  remainder  tyrannic  and 
indolent.  Opulence,  acquired  by  the  slavery  of  others, 
degenerates  its  possessors,  and  destroys  the  physical 
powers  of  government.  Principles  so  degrading  are 
inconsistent  with  the  primitive  dignity  of  man  and  his 
natural  right.  Slavery  is  incompatible  with  the  vital 
principles  of  all  free  governments,  and  tends  to  their 
ruin.  It  paralyzes  industry,  the  greatest  source  of 
national  wealth,  stifles  the  love  of  freedom,  and  endan- 
gers the  safety  of  the  Nation.  It  is  prohibited  by  the 
laws  of  nature,  which  are  equally  binding  on  govern- 
ments and  individuals.  The  right  to  introduce  and 
establish  slavery  in  a  free  government  does  not  exist. 
*  *  *  If  Missouri  be  permitted  to  introduce  and 
legalize  slavery  by  her  Constitution,  and  we  consent  to 
her  admission,  we  shall  justly  incur  the  charge  of  insin- 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        16f) 

eerily  in  uur  civil  insiiuniuns,  and  in  all  our  professions 
of  attachment  to  liberty.  It  will  bring  upon  the  Con- 
stitution and  Declaration  of  Independence  a  deep  stain, 
which  cannot  be  forgotten  or  blotted  out !  'It  will  deeply 
affect  the  Union  in  its  resources,  political  interests  and 
character.' 

"The  admission  of  another  new  State  into  the  Union 
with  a  Constitution  which  guarantees  security  and  pro- 
tection to  slavery,  and  the  cruel  and  unnatural  traffic  of 
(in)  any  portion  of  the  human  race,  will  be  an  error 
which  the  Union  cannot  correct,  and  an  evil  which  may 
endanger  the  freedom  of  the  Nation. 

"Congress  never  ought,  and  we  trust  never  will,  plant 
the  standard  of  the  Union  in  Missouri,  to  wave  over  the 
heads  of  involuntary  slaves,  'who  have  nothing  they  can 
call  their  own,  except  their  sorrows  and  their  suffer- 
ings,' and  a  life  beyond  the  grave — and  who  can  never 
taste  the  sweets  of  liberty,  unless  they  obtain  it  by  force 
or  by  flight.  Nor  can  a  community,  made  up  of  masters 
and  slaves,  ever  enjoy  the  blessings  of  liberty,  and  the 
benefits  of  free  government;  these  enjoyments  are  re- 
served for  a  community  of  freemen,  who  are  subject 
to  none,  but  to  God  and  the  laws. 

"The  Committee  therefore  submit  for  the  considera- 
tion of  the  General  Assembly  the  following  resolutions, 
viz. : 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  Legislature, 
slavery,  or  involuntary  servitude,  in  any  of  the  United 
States,  is  a  moral  and  political  evil,  and  that  its  contin- 
uance can  be  justified  by  necessity  alone.  That  Con- 
gress has  a  right  to  inhibit  any  further  introduction,  or 


170  IJISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

extension   of   slavery,   as   one  of   the   conditions   upon 
which  any  new  State  shall  be  admitted  into  the  Union. 

"Resolved,  That  this  Legislature  views  with  regret 
and  alarm  the  attempt  of  the  inhabitants  of  Missouri  to 
obtain  admission  into  the  Union  as  one  of  the  United 
States,  under  a  Constitution  which  legalizes  and  secures 
the  introduction  and  continuance  of  slavery — and  also 
contains  provisions  to  prevent  freemen  of  the  United 
States  from  emigrating  to  and  settling  in  Missouri,  on 
account  of  their  origin,  color  and  features.  And  that 
in  the  opinion  of  this  Legislature,  these  principles, 
powers  and  restrictions,  contained  in  the  reputed  (re- 
ported) Constitution  of  Missouri,  are  anti-republican 
and  repugnant  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
and  subversive  of  the  inalienable  rights  of  man. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Senators  from  this  State  in  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  be  instructed,  and  the 
Representatives  requested,  to  exert  their  influence  and 
use  all  legal  measures  to  prevent  the  admission  of  Mis- 
souri as  a  State  into  the  Union  of  the  United  States, 
with  those  anti-republican  features  and  powers  in  their 
Constitution. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  of  State  be  requested 
to  transmit  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  report  and  resolu- 
tions to  each  of  the  Senators  and  Representatives  from 
this  State  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States." 

The  report  and  resolutions  presented  by  the  committee 
were  adopted  by  the  House  and  by  the  Council  without 
a  division. 

Thus,  on  the  threshold  of  the  slavery  controversy, 
which,  for  forty  years,  was  to  be  waged  in  Congress 


TIIK  KWJl.L'TlUX    UF  A   STATE        171 

with  ever  increasing  intensity  and  bitterness,  Vermont 
made  her  position  so  plain  that  there  could  be  no  shadow 
of  doubt  concerning-  it.  The  fact  that  Senator  Palmer 
on  certain  roll  calls — not  on  all  of  them — was  found  vot- 
ing with  the  Senators  who  upheld  slavery,  subjected  him 
to  severe  criticism  at  home. 

In  1821  Rev.  Joseph  R.  Andrus,  a  native  of  Cornwall, 
sailed  for  the  west  coast  of  Africa  in  charge  of  a  colony 
of  Negroes  as  the  first  agent  of  the  American  Coloniza- 
tion Society.  The  climate  proved  unhealthful  and  he 
died  a  few  months  after  his  arrival. 

The  Vermont  Legislature,  in  1820,  found  it  inexpe- 
dient to  concur  in  an  amendment  to  the  United  States 
Constitution  proposed  by  the  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
providing  that  every  bank  or  moneyed  institution  incor- 
porated by  Congress,  together  with  its  branches  should 
be  confined  to  the  District  of  Columbia.  A  communi- 
cation from  former  Governor  Galusha  to  Governor 
Skinner  conveyed  the  information  that  a  settlement  had 
been  obtained  with  the  United  States  Government  for 
expenses  incurred  in  the  War  of  1812  for  rations,  trans- 
portation of  baggage,  etc.,  the  sum  of  $4,421.18  having 
been  received  in  payment  therefor. 

The  term  of  Senator  Isaac  Tichenor  continued  for 
several  years  after  the  Federalist  party  w^hich  elected 
him  had  ceased  to  be  an  important  factor  in  political 
affairs.  It  became  the  duty  of  the  Legislature  of  1820 
to  elect  his  successor  for  the  term  beginning  in  March, 
1821,  and  Horatio  Seymour  of  Middlebury  was  chosen. 
He  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  May  31,  1778,  being 
one  of  a  numerous  group  of  men  prominent  in  the  early 


172  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

period  of  Vermont  history,  who  were  natives  of  Litch- 
field county,  Connecticut.  He  graduated  from  Yale 
College  in  the  class  of  1797,  taught  school  for  a  year, 
attended  the  Litchfield  law  school  for  a  year,  and  came 
to  Middlebury  in  1799,  where  he  continued  his  legal 
studies  with  Daniel  Chipman,  being  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1800,  He  was  a  member  of  the  Council  from  1809 
to  1813,  was  Postmaster  for  nine  years,  State's  Attorney 
for  Addison  county,  1810-13  and  1815-19,  served  as 
United  States  Senator  for  two  terms,  was  the  Whig  can- 
didate for  Governor  in  1833  and  1834,  and  Judge  of 
Probate,  1847-55.     He  died  November  21,  1857. 

A  Council  of  Censors  was  elected  in  1820,  its  members 
being  V/illiam  Hunter  of  Windsor,  Charles  Rich  of 
Shoreham,  Joel  Brownson  of  Richmond,  Joseph  Scott 
of  Craftsbury,  Augustine  Clark  of  Montpelier,  Isaac  N. 
Cushman  of  Woodstock,  William  Nutting  of  Randolph, 
John  Phelps  of  Guilford,  Joel  Pratt  of  Manchester, 
Amos  Thompson  of  Poultney,  Asa  Aldis  of  St.  Albans, 
Jedediah  Hyde  of  Grand  Isle  and  Joshua  Y.  Vail  of 
Montpelier.  Three  sessions  of  the  Council  were  held 
at  Montpelier,  the  first,  June  6-7,  1820;  the  second, 
October  17-27,  1820;  the  third,  March  15-26,  1821. 
This  body  reported  to  the  Governor  and  Council  that  the 
law  requiring  the  levying  of  a  tax  of  one  cent  on  the 
dollar  of  the  list  of  the  polls  and  ratable  estate  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  State  for  the  support  of  schools 
was  neglected  in  many  towns;  and  the  law  was  con- 
sidered defective,  as  it  failed  to  impose  a  penalty  for 
neglect.  The  law  regulating  the  rate  of  interest  had 
been  "grossly  and  openly  violated  by  a  large  proportion 


THE  EVULUTION   OF  A  STATE        173 

uf  our  iiiuncycd  citizens  throughout  the  State";  and  the 
laws  regarding  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors  had  not 
been  strictly  executed.  Five  constitutional  amendments 
were  proposed.  They  provided  that  the  legislative 
power  should  be  vested  in  an  Executive  Council  and 
the  House  of  Representatives;  that  the  executive  power 
should  be  vested  in  a  Governor  and  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor; that  there  should  be  two  Representatives  in  the 
Legislature  for  every  two  thousand  inhabitants  and  a 
Council  of  one  member  from  each  county;  the  member- 
ship of  the  House  never  to  be  less  than  one  hundred  and 
twenty  or  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty,  no  county  to 
have  fewer  than  three  members  or  more  than  the  num- 
ber of  towns  it  contained;  that  no  member  of  the  Legis- 
lature during  his  term  of  office  should  be  appointed  Judge 
of  a  court,  High  Bailifif,  Sheriff,  State's  Attorney,  Justice 
of  the  Peace  or  an  officer  of  the  State  Prison;  that  the 
Governor  should  not  grant  pardons,  remit  fines,  or  com- 
mand the  State  forces  in  person  except  by  advice  of 
the  Council;  that  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  should 
not  be  eligible  to  hold  tow^n  or  other  State  offices;  that 
these  Judges  should  be  chosen  for  terms  of  seven  years, 
and  should  be  subject  to  removal  by  impeachment  or  by 
joint  resolution  if  two-thirds  of  the  whole  number  voted 
in  the  affirmative.  A  Constitutional  Convention  was 
called,  which  held  a  two  days'  session  at  Montpelier, 
February  21-22,  1822.  Every  proposal  of  amendment 
was  rejected,  most  of  them  by  large  majorities.  The 
amendment  concerning  the  right  of  Supreme  Court 
Judges  to  hold  other  offices  received  93  votes,  while  121 


174  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

were  cast  against  it.     This  was  the  only  one  of  the  five 
proposals  submitted  which  was  largely  supported. 

During  the  summer  of  1820,  Thomas  Macdonough, 
the  hero  of  Plattsburg,  visited  Vermont  and  the  scene 
of  his  famous  victory,  being  welcomed  with  much 
enthusiasm. 

The  census  of  1820  showed  a  population  of  235,981 
in  Vermont,  a  gain  of  18,086,  or  8.3  per  cent.  Most  of 
the  counties  made  very  small  gains.  Washington's  gain 
was  the  largest,  while  Windsor  and  Orange  increased 
substantially  in  population.  The  town  of  Windsor  stood 
at  the  head  of  the  list  with  2,956  inhabitants.  A  few 
of  the  more  populous  towns  reported  as  follows: 
Woodstock,  2,610;  Springfield,  2,702;  Hartland, 
2,553;  Middlebury,  2,535;  Chester,  2,493;  Ran- 
dolph, 2,487;  Bennington,  2,485;  Rutland,  2,369;  Mont- 
pelier,  2,308;  Weathersfield,  2,301;  Danville,  2,300 
Rockingham,  2,155;  Pawlet,  2,155;  Burlington,  2,111 
Shaftsbury,  2,022;  Brattleboro,  2,017;  Hartford,  2,010 
Tunbridge,  2,003.  The  number  of  females  exceeded  the 
number  of  males  by  slightly  over  two  hundred,  and  750 
free  colored  persons  were  reported.  Sixty-six  Vermont 
towns  showed  a  decrease  in  number  of  inhabitants. 
Some  of  the  Vermont  losses  were  as  follows:  Rupert, 
298;  Halifax,  191;  Middletown,  168;  Charlotte,  153; 
Shoreham,  152;  Cornwall,  150;  Wardsboro,  149;  Bris- 
tol, 128;  Danby,  127;  Highgate,  124;  New  Haven,  122; 
Orwell,  119;  Arlington,  109. 

McMaster  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  this  decade, 
from  1810  to  1820,  is  the  only  census  period  in  the 
Nation's  history  in  which  "the  population  of  the  cities 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        175 

failed  to  increase  at  a  much  more  rapid  rate  than  the 
population  of  the  rural  districts." 

Agricultural  and  industrial  statistics  are  very  meagre 
for  this  period  and  for  several  decades  following.  The 
total  value  of  manufactures  in  Vermont  amounted  to 
$890,353,  divided  as  follows :  Woolen  goods,  $198,659 ; 
cotton  goods,  $49,882;  pig  iron  and  castings,  $85,400; 
wrought  iron,  $33,340;  products  of  breweries  and  dis- 
tilleries, $63,314;  all  other  manufactures,  $459,758.  In 
1820  there  were  nine  paper  mills  in  the  State.  There 
were  776  persons  engaged  in  commerce ;  8,484  in  manu- 
facturing; and  50,951  in  agriculture. 

Practically  every  town  had  at  least  one  tannery,  and 
shoemakers  travelled  from  farm  to  farm  with  kits  of 
tools.  At  one  time  there  were  ten  shoemakers  in  the 
tov^n  of  Ryegate.  Some  of  them  had  shops  and  em- 
ployed apprentices.  Others  were  farmers  in  the  sum- 
mer and  made  shoes  in  the  winter.  Carpenters  had 
shops  in  which  they  manufactured  doors,  sash  and 
blinds,  furniture,  coffins,  wagons  and  sleighs  during  the 
winter  months.  Tailors  and  tailoresses  went  from 
house  to  house,  making  garments. 

Houses  were  lighted  with  candles,  which  were  placed 
in  iron  or  brass  candlesticks,  or  in  blocks  of  wood.  Oil 
lamps  began  to  be  used  about  1820,  but  did  not  come  into 
general  use.  Sperm  oil  w^as  used  later,  but  these  lamps 
smoked  and  gave  forth  an  unpleasant  odor.  Several 
compounds  were  used,  one  of  which,  camphene,  gave  a 
bright  light,  but  exploded  easily.  Kerosene  did  not 
come  into  use  until  much  later.  Stoves  for  heating 
began  to  be  used  as  early  as  1800,  while  stoves  for  cook- 


176  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

ing  came  into  use  about  1818  or  1820;  but  for  many 
years,  in  some  instances  until  well  toward  the  period  of 
the  Civil  War,  brick  ovens  were  used  for  baking. 
*"Oven  wood,"  split  into  small  pieces,  was  burned  in  these 
large  receptacles  until  the  whole  mass  of  brick  was 
thoroughly  heated,  then  the  fire  was  drawn,  the  oven 
swept  with  an  oven  broom,  and  in  it  were  placed  meat, 
pots  of  beans,  loaves  of  bread,  pastry,  etc.  The  contents 
were  watched  carefully,  and  from  time  to  time  the 
various  articles  were  taken  out  when  properly  cooked. 
The  flavor  of  viands  baked  in  a  brick  oven  was  said  to 
be  particularly  appetizing. 

The  iron  plow  came  into  use  in  Ryegate  about  1820. 
The  earlier  plows  were  of  wood  with  iron  points  and  an 
iron  plate  on  the  mouldboard.  Winnowing  or  fanning 
mills  came  into  use  five  years  earlier,  and  bent  scythe 
snaths  were  introduced  about  1815.  Local  blacksmiths 
made  the  first  harrows  by  inserting  iron  teeth  in  the 
forked  branches  of  trees.  The  first  horse  rake  was 
used  in  Ryegate  in  1835,  the  first  cultivator  in  1850  and 
the  first  mowing  machine  in  1853. 

Until  about  1840  eight  dollars  a  month  and  board  was 
considered  a  reasonable  wage  for  farm  hands.  Occa- 
sionally one  dollar  a  day  was  paid  for  extra  help  during 
the  haying  and  harvesting  season.  In  1810  one  dollar  a 
day  sometimes  was  paid  to  a  good  carpenter,  who  fur- 
nished his  own  tools.  Articles  made  by  hand  included 
shoes  for  oxen  and  horses,  scythes,  locks  and  hinges. 
Iron  was  scarce  and  high  in  price,  and  old  scythes  were 
utilized  for  making  horse  shoes.  In  1830  there  were 
nine  blacksmith  shops  in  Ryegate. 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A   STATE        177 

P'^arniers  usually  marketed  wheat,  butter,  pork,  hides 
and  other  products  in  winter,  when  the  roads  were  better 
than  in  summer,  as  the  snow  covered  the  roug'h  places. 
liUtter  was  stored  in  cool  cellars  and  in  the  early  winter 
the  farmers  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  were  accus- 
tomed to  make  a  trip  to  Boston  with  their  produce,  pur- 
chasing tea,  coffee,  spices,  white  sugar,  tobacco^  and 
other  articles  not  raised  on  Vermont  farms. 

Some  business  w^as  done  by  water.  Boats  used  on  the 
Connecticut  River  would  carry  about  twenty-five  tons 
of  merchandise.  Square  sails  were  used  in  the  middle 
of  the  boat.  A  crew  of  seven  men  furnished  most  of 
the  motive  power  for  propelling  the  boats  up  stream, 
three  men  on  a  side  pushing  with  spike  poles,  while  the 
captain  steered  with  a  wade  oar  at  the  stern.  Clap- 
boards, shingles,  etc.,  were  carried  dowm  the  river,  and 
iron  products,  salt,  rum,  sugar,  molasses  and  other  heavy 
articles,  in  some  instances  were  brought  back  as  far  as 
Wells  River,  the  head  of  navigation.  Sometimes  pine 
boats  were  broken  up  and  sold  at  the  end  of  the  trip  but 
oak  boats  were  more  substantially  built.  Rafts  of  lumber 
sent  down  stream  to  Hartford,  Conn.,  usually  were 
sixty  feet  long  and  thirteen  feet  wide,  just  the  proper 
size  to  pass  through  the  locks.  The  trip  from  Wells 
River  to  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  return  took  about  twenty- 
five  days.  The  freight  charges  were  heavy.  In  1816 
a  Danville  merchant  wTote  the  Nczv  HampsJiirc  Patriot 
that  he  had  paid  at  the  rate  of  thirty-tw^o  dollars  per 
ton  for  transportation  of  merchandise  by  water.  Much 
of  the  freight  was  transported  by  land,  and  merchants 
kept  their  own  teams  on  the  road. 


178  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Early  in  January,  1820,  Congressman  Rich  introduced 
a  resolution  providing  that  the  Committee  on  Manufac- 
tures be  instructed  to  inquire  into  the  expediency  of  pro- 
hibiting (except  for  the  export  trade)  the  importation 
of  distilled  spirits  and  malt  liquors,  all  goods  made  from 
cotton  or  flax,  all  kinds  of  glassware  and  window  glass, 
iron  in  bars,  rods,  etc.,  all  manufactures  of  sheet  iron, 
lead,  copper  or  tin,  all  paper,  all  manufactures  of  leather, 
all  hats  and  ready  made  clothing;  and  to  inquire  into 
the  expediency  of  levying  an  excise  duty  upon  domestic 
articles  substituted.  The  resolution  was  laid  on  the 
table.  On  the  Baldwin  tariff  bill,  reported  in  April, 
1820,  increasing  duties  to  some  extent,  Congressman 
Rich  of  Vermont  voted  to  order  the  bill  to  a  third  read- 
ing. Congressmen  Crafts  and  Mallary  voted  against  the 
measure,  and  their  colleagues,  Messrs.  Meech,  Richards 
and  Strong,  were  reported  absent.  In  1820  Senator 
Tichenor  was  assigned  to  the  committees  on  Militia  and 
Pensions;  Senator  Palmer,  to  Post-Offices  and  Post- 
Roads.  The  committee  assignments  of  Vermont  mem- 
bers of  the  House  were  as  follows:  Agriculture, 
Meech;  Claims,  Rich;  Commerce,  Mallary;  Militia, 
Strong;  Roads  and  Canals,  and  Public  Buildings,  Crafts. 
Later  Mr.  Mattocks  of  Vermont  was  added  to  the  Public 
Buildings  Committee,  which  was  directed  to  consider  the 
practicability  of  improving  Representatives'  Hall. 

Governor  Skinner  was  reelected  in  1821,  receiving 
12,434  votes.  The  only  opposition  came  from  163 
scattering  votes.  In  his  inaugural  address  the  Governor 
called  attention  to  the  report  of  the  Council  of  Censors 
concerning  the  violation  of  the  law  regulating  the  rate 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        179 

of  interest.  He  alluded  to  the  importance  of  encourag- 
ing manufactures,  and  referred  to  the  prevailing  hard 
limes  in  these  words:  "At  a  period  like  the  present, 
when  the  price  of  every  commodity  produced  in  the  State 
is  depressed  almost  beyond  example,  it  will  afford  me  the 
highest  satisfaction  to  aid  in  every  measure  calculated 
to  advance  the  great  interest  of  agriculture." 

Speaker  D.  Azro  A.  Buck  was  reelected.  Resolutions 
were  adopted  declaring  that  each  State  "has  an  equal 
right  to  participate  in  the  benefit  of  the  public  lands,  as 
common  property  of  the  Union."  and  that  States  which 
had  not  received  appropriations  of  land  for  educational 
purposes  were  entitled  to  a  just  proportion  of  the  same. 
It  was  ordered  that  copies  should  be  sent  to  Vermont 
Senators  and  Representatives  in  Congress  and  to  the 
Governors  of  the  several  States.  The  Committee  on 
Military  Afifairs  reported  resolutions,  which  were 
adopted,  setting  forth  the  evils  resulting  from  the  cus- 
tom which  required  militia  officers  to  treat  those  under 
their  command  to  "ardent  spirits."  The  demoralizing 
effects  were  cited  and  it  was  declared  that  the  expense 
was  so  burdensome  that  few  officers  could  bear  it  long. 
The  Brattleboro  Bank  was  incorporated  with  a  capital 
stock  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  the  Bellows 
Falls  and  Burlington  aqueduct  companies  were  char- 
tered. Daniel  Chipman  was  appointed  agent  to  examine 
and  collect  the  records  of  the  Council  of  Safety  and 
arrange  them  for  publication. 

A  report  printed  in  Niles'  Register  in  December,  1821, 
showed  the  revenue  received  by  Vermont  during  the 


180  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

year  to  have  been  $53,292,  with  expenditures  amounting 
in  the  aggregate  to  $43,382. 

Congressman  Mallary  was  appointed  a  member  of  a 
committee  to  report  a  bill  apportioning  Representatives 
according  to  the  Fourth  Census.  Under  the  apportion- 
ment made,  Vermont  lost  one  Congressman.  Senator 
Seymour  was  assigned  to  the  Committees  on  Militia  and 
Pensions,  and  Senator  Palmer  retained  his  membership 
on  the  Post-Office  Committee.  The  assignments  in  the 
House  included  the  following:  Claims,  Rich;  District 
of  Columbia,  Mallary;  Expenditures  in  the  Navy 
Department,  White;  Expenditures  in  the  Treasury  De- 
partment, Keyes;  Public  Expenditures,  Crafts.  The 
interest  of  Mr.  Rich  in  the  promotion  of  manufacturing 
was  shown  in  a  resolution  which  he  introduced,  instruct- 
ing the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  report  the  amount 
of  wool  imported  into  the  United  States  during  the  years 
1817-20  and  the  first  nine  months  of  1821 ;  and  the 
amount  of  wool  exported. 

That  portion  of  President  Monroe's  message  delivered 
at  the  opening  of  Congress  late  in  the  year  1821,  relat- 
ing to  manufactures  and  the  promotion  of  national  in- 
dustry, was  referred  to  the  Ways  and  Means  Committee, 
the  majority  of  which  reported  that  it  was  inexpedient 
at  that  time  to  legislate  on  the  subject.  On  January  7, 
1822,  Congressman  Rich  offered  the  following  resolu- 
tion, indicating  the  growing  sentiment  in  favor  of  a 
protective  tarifif:  "Resolved,  That  the  Committee  on 
Ways  and  Means  be  instructed  to  prepare  and  report  a 
bill  providing  for  a  moderate  annual  increase  of  duties 
for  a  term  of  years  upon  the  importation  of  such  com- 


Sherburne   Valley 


\  t^^- 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        181 

nioditics  as  can,  with  the  prolcctiun  common  in  oihcv 
countries,  and  a  convenient  application  of  the  means  of 
the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  be  produced  in  abun- 
dance from  domestic  materials,  and  for  moderate  excise 
upon  similar  domestic  commodities;  to  commence  at  a 
convenient  period  and  be  made  annually  progressive 
until  it  shall  have  reached  an  amount  deemed  proper  for 
a  permanent  excise  duty."  Mr.  Rich's  speech  advocat- 
ing the  resolution,  as  reported  in  Niles'  Register, 
occupies  about  three  pages. 

Congressman  Mallary,  with  the  foresight  of  a  states- 
man, offered  a  resolution,  which  was  rejected,  directing 
the  Committee  on  Naval  Affairs  to  inquire  into  the 
expediency  of  establishing  one  or  more  naval  schools. 
The  United  States  Naval  Academy  was  established 
more  than  twenty  years  later,  in  1845.  Mf.  Keyes  ad- 
vocated the  Revolutionarv  Pension  bill  in  a  forceful 
speech.  Reports  of  this  session  show  Congressmen 
Rich  and  Mallary  to  have  been  among  the  most  active 
members  of  the  House. 

It  was  reported  in  the  summer  of  1822  that  the  Ver- 
mont law,  staying  all  proceedings  against  insolvent 
debtors  for  a  term  of  years,  had  been  declared  unconsti- 
tutional by  the  Circuit  Court  on  the  ground  that  it 
impaired  the  obligation  of  contracts.  In  1822  there 
were  1,655  miles  of  post-roads  in  Vermont  and  mail  was 
actually  carried  over  1,598  miles  of  these  highways. 

Governor  Skinner  was  reelected  in  1822.  Congress- 
men Crafts,  Mallary  and  Rich  were  reelected  and  Wil- 
liam C.  Bradley  again  was  sent  to  the  National  House 
of  Representatives.     In  his  inaugural  address  the  Gov- 


182  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

ernor  alluded  to  the  disparity  between  roads  in  various 
Vermont  towns,  some  of  them  being  seriously  neglected. 
He  opposed  the  establishment  of  any  more  banks,  refer- 
ring to  "the  ruinous  effect"  of  their  multiplication  in  the 
interior  of  the  country.  He  also  alluded  to  the  en- 
couragement of  manufactures.  He  announced  at  the 
close  of  his  address  that  he  would  not  be  a  candidate  for 
reelection. 

Speaker  D.  Azro  A.  Buck  of  Chelsea  was  elected  for 
another  term  but  resigned  on  November  11,  shortly  be- 
fore the  end  of  the  session,  having  been  elected  a  Member 
of  Congress.  He  was  a  son  of  Daniel  Buck,  who  was  a 
member  of  Congress  from  1795  to  1797,  and  was  born 
in  Norwich,  Vt.,  April  19,  1789.  He  graduated  from 
Middlebury  College  in  1807,  was  a  student  at  the  United 
States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  and  was  com- 
missioned a  Lieutenant  in  the  Army  of  1808.  In  1811, 
he  resigned  to  study  law,  but  raised  a  company  of  rang- 
ers in  1813,  becoming  a  Captain  in  the  Twenty-first 
U.  S.  Regiment.  He  practiced  law  at  Chelsea  and  rep- 
resented the  town  in  the  Legislature  from  1816  to  1822, 
1825-26,  1829-30  and  1833-35,  being  Speaker  for  six 
years.  His  period  of  service  in  the  Legislature  is  one 
of  the  longest  on  record.  He  was  State's  Attorney  of 
Orange  county,  1819-22,  1830-32  and  1833-34.  He  was 
a  Presidential  Elector  in  1820  and  served  six  years  in 
Congress.  After  his  term  of  service  had  ended  he  re- 
mained in  Washington,  where  he  died,  December  24, 
1840. 

The  enactments  of  the  Vermont  Legislature  of  1822 
included    a    rearrangement    of    Congressional    districts 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        183 

made  necessary  by  the  reduction  in  number  from  six  to 
five. 

The  First  District  included  the  counties  of  Benning- 
ton and  Windham  and  the  Rutland  county  towns  of 
Pawlet,  Danby  and  Mount  Tabor. 

The  Second  District  was  made  up  of  Addison  county 
and  Rutland  county  with  the  exception  of  the  towns  in- 
cluded in  the  First  District. 

The  Third  District  included  Windsor  county  and  the 
Orange  county  towns  of  Braintree,  Randolph,  Strafiford, 
Thetford  and  Tunbridge. 

In  the  Fourth  District  were  included  the  counties  of 
Chittenden,  Grand  Isle  and  Orleans. 

The  Fifth  District  contained  Essex,  Caledonia  and 
Washington  counties  and  all  of  Orange  county  with  the 
exception  of  the  towns  included  in  the  Third  District. 

The  Committee  on  Manufactures,  to  which  was  re- 
ferred that  portion  of  the  Governor's  speech  relating  to 
manufactures,  reported  that  Vermont  could  raise  as  fine 
wool  as  any  part  of  the  world;  that  the  State  abounded 
"with  ores  and  with  forests  for  the  miners  and  colliers, 
ample  for  the  manufacture  of  iron  in  all  its  varieties, 
and  equal  to  the  calls  of  the  State  consumption,  and 
ultimately  for  export."  Great  advantages  would  result 
"provided  capital  could  be  allured  to  these  objects  by  the 
affinity  and  patronage  of  our  laws."  Reference  was 
made  to  the  obstacles  encountered  by  Vermont  manufac- 
turers of  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  the  report  declaring: 
"The  injudicious  policy  pursued  at  the  close  of  the  late 
war  sacrificed  millions  of  property  of  this  class  of  our 
fellow  citizens;  their  establishments  went  into  a  state  of 


184  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

deterioration  and  decay,  or  passed  to  the  hands  of  their 
creditors  for,  perhaps,  one  quarter  of  their  actual  cost. 
From  this  state  of  depression  and  compression  of  their 
means,  they  have  been  able  to  do  a  little  business,  but 
are  not  generally  in  a  flourishing  state.     *     *     * 

"Our  country  and  our  State  should  follow  up  the 
mode  of  policy  which  is  pursued  by  the  greatest  manu- 
facturing interest  in  the  world.  We  should  sit  on  our 
woolsacks  in  order  to  encourage  the  wool  growers;  we 
should  give  bounties  and  grant  prohibitions,  until  the 
branches  of  our  manufacturing  rise  to  an  equal  level 
with  other  orders,  graduated  to  the  wants  they  supply, 
and  then,  like  others,  let  them  bear  equal  burthens  in 
publick  expenditure,  and  the  support  of  protection.  To 
manufacture  a  sufficiency  for  our  own  w^ants  and  con- 
sumption, we  believe  it  a  conceded  point,  would  add 
measureless  advantage  and  vigor  to  the  morals,  produc- 
tive industry  and  independence  of  our  common  country." 

The  committee  recommended  the  following  resolution, 
which  was  adopted:  "Resolved,  the  Governor  and 
Council  concurring  herein,  That  our  Senators  be  in- 
structed and  our  Representatives  be  requested,  to  use 
every  exertion  and  render  every  aid  in  their  power  to 
any  measure  which  may  be  put  in  progress  by  the  wisdom 
of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  for  the  protec- 
tion and  encouragement  of  the  manufacturing  interest 
of  the  Nation." 

The  Committee  on  Manufactures  was  authorized  to 
investigate  the  propriety  of  granting  bounties  for  the 
encouragement  of  the  making  and  refining  of  maple 
sugar. 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        185 

The  Judiciary  Coniniiltee  was  instructed  to  inquire 
into  the  expediency  of  passing  a  law  establishing  a 
uniform  school  system. 

Information  concerning  the  building  of  X'ermont 
highways  is  found  in  the  report  of  a  debate  in  Congress 
in  February,  1823,  on  the  Cumberland  Road  appropria- 
tion, one  of  the  important  measures  embraced  in  the 
policy  which  advocated  a  system  of  internal  improve- 
ments. Mr.  White  of  Vermont,  referring  to  Mr.  Keyes, 
a  member  from  the  same  State,  said:  ''An  honorable 
member,  my  venerable  and  worthy  colleague,  from  his 
own  private  funds,  has  expended  more  than  forty  thou- 
sand dollars  in  making  a  road  across  the  Green  Moun- 
tains, and  though  the  traveller  pays  a  high  toll  for  pass- 
ing thereon,  for  nearly  twenty  years  past  this  road  has 
not  yielded  the  proprietor  one  cent  more  than  sufficient 
to  make  the  necessary  repairs."  Later  Mr.  Keyes  spoke 
on  the  bill,  opposing  a  provision  to  permit  certain  States 
through  which  the  road  passed  to  have  possession  and 
take  toll.  Referring  to  Vermont  roads,  he  said:  "In 
that  part  of  the  country  where  I  live  (Stockbridge) 
when  I  first  went  into  it,  when  we  had  to  travel  the  roads 
with  a  cart  or  wagon  loaded  with  six  or  eight  hundred- 
weight, we  had  to  employ  half  a  dozen  men  to  hang  on 
one  side  or  the  other,  to  keep  the  cart  from  turning 
over ;  but  since  we  have  constructed  our  turnpike  roads, 
one  man  can  drive  his  team  with  a  load  of  two  or  three 
tons  on  his  wagon.  *  *  *  'phg  farms  and  wild 
lands  which  they  go  through  or  lead  to  are  worth  double 
as  much  as  they  ever  would  have  been  without  having 
these  roads  made  to  travel  upon." 


186  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

The  people  of  Vermont  were  interested  in  other 
methods  of  transportation.  The  steamboat  traffic  on 
Lake  Champlain  had  now  become  an  established  system. 
It  has  been  claimed  that  Samuel  Morey  of  Fairlee,  and 
not  Robert  Fulton,  was  the  inventor  of  the  steamboat. 
It  is  probably  true  that  Morey's  inventions  in  applying 
steam  to  water  navigation  antedate  those  of  Fulton,  but 
several  men  were  at  work  on  this  problem  about  the 
same  time,  and  James  Ramsey  and  John  Fitch  apparently 
began  their  experiments  about  five  years  before  Morey 
made  his  first  attempts  in  1790.  Before  1793  he  had 
equipped  a  small  boat  with  an  engine,  using  wood  for 
fuel,  and  launched  his  craft  on  the  Connecticut  River. 
He  made  his  trial  trip  on  Sunday  to  avoid  observation 
and  ridicule.  The  boat  was  crude,  with  a  paddlewheel 
in  front,  but  the  attempt  to  operate  it  was  a  success. 
After  perfecting  his  engine  and  making  several  trips  on 
the  river,  Morey  took  his  invention  to  New  York,  where 
he  met  Chancellor  Livingston  and  Robert  Fulton,  and 
explained  to  them  his  engine.  For  three  successive  sum- 
mers Morey  went  to  New  York,  where  he  made  several 
improvements  on  his  craft,  one  being  the  change  of  the 
paddlewheel  from  the  bow  to  the  stern  of  the  boat.  He 
could  make  about  five  miles  an  hour  with  this  craft.  It 
is  said  that  Chancellor  Livingston  offered  Captain 
Morey  a  ''considerable  sum"  for  his  invention,  which 
was  refused. 

Finding  the  climate  of  New  York  unheal thful,  Morey 
went  to  Bordentown,  N.  J.,  and  in  June,  1797,  con- 
structed a  steamboat  on  the  Delaware  River.  The  craft 
was  propelled  by  two  wheels,  one  on  each  side,  connected 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        187 

with  the  engine,  the  same  principle  used  for  many  years 
by  sidewheel  steamers.  A  patent  had  been  taken  out 
by  Morey,  March  25,  1795.  This  boat  was  exhibited  in 
Philadelphia.  In  an  article  written  for  the  Boston 
Recorder  in  1858,  by  Rev.  Cyrus  Mann,  who,  as  a  boy, 
knew  Captain  Morey  and  saw  his  invention,  it  was 
asserted  that  on  his  later  visits  to  New  York  Morey  was 
treated  with  coldness  and  neglect  by  Livingston  and  Ful- 
ton; and  the  article  asserted  that  the  Vermonter  was 
robbed  of  the  credit  for  his  invention  and  the  profits 
that  would  have  resulted  therefrom. 

The  world's  second  successful  steamboat  was  built 
by  John  and  James  Winans  and  J.  Lough,  was  named 
the  Vermont^  and  was  operated  on  Lake  Champlain. 
This  craft  was  120  feet  long,  20  feet  wide  and  of  167 
tons  burden.  Fulton's  Clermont  was  100  feet  long,  12 
feet  wide,  and  of  160  tons  burden.  Steamboat  traffic 
was  hindered  by  the  War  of  1812,  but  gradually  de- 
veloped in  spite  of  ridicule  and  the  rivalry  of  sailing 
vessels. 

Early  in  the  Nineteenth  century  the  construction  of 
the  Champlain  Canal  introduced  a  new  factor  in  lake 
navigation.  The  Northern  Inland  Lake  Navigation 
Company  in  1792  secured  a  charter  for  the  construction 
of  a  canal  between  Lake  Champlain  and  the  Hudson 
River,  and  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  was 
spent,  although  no  real  progress  was  made.  In  a  re- 
port of  the  New  York  Canal  Commission,  presented 
March  19,  1817,  reference  was  made  to  the  desirability 
of  a  Champlain  Canal,  and  the  lumber  and  iron  resources 
of  the  region  and  the  great  deposits  of  Vermont  marble 


188  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

were  cited  as  arguments  for  the  construction  of  such  a 
waterway.  A  preliminary  survey  was  made  and  on 
April  15,  1817,  a  bill  authorizing  the  construction  of  the 
Champlain  Canal  was  passed  by  the  New  York  Legisla- 
ture, work  being  begun  the  same  year.  Whitehall,  at 
the  head  of  Lake  Champlain,  and  Waterford,  on  the 
Hudson  River,  were  the  terminal  points. 

The  canal  was  regularly  opened  for  traffic  in  the 
autumn  of  1823.  The  canal  boat  Gleaner,  a  craft  built 
in  St.  Albans,  owned  by  Julius  Hoyt,  N.  W.  Kingman 
and  John  Taylor  of  that  town,  commanded  by  Capt.  Wil- 
liam Burton,  and  carrying  a  cargo  of  one  thousand,  two 
hundred  bushels  of  wheat,  a  quantity  of  potash,  and 
other  commodities,  was  the  first  boat  to  pass  through 
the  new  waterway,  a  few  weeks  in  advance  of  the  formal 
opening.  The  Gleaner  was  compelled  to  wait  at  Water- 
ford  a  few  days  for  the  completion  of  the  locks  into  the 
Hudson.  The  boat  was  accompanied  to  Troy  by  a  pro- 
cession of  gaily  dressed  boats,  and  on  her  arrival  there 
she  was  met  by  a  large  crowd  of  people  and  greeted  with 
a  salute  of  artillery.  Two  of  the  proprietors,  Mr.  Hoyt 
and  Mr.  Kingman,  were  passengers  on  the  Gleaner  and 
they  were  escorted  by  a  procession  with  music  to  the 
Troy  House,  where  a  public  dinner  was  given  in  their 
honor.  The  boat  was  greeted  at  Albany,  Poughkeepsie 
and  other  large  river  towns,  and  at  New  York  City 
exercises  similar  to  those  at  Troy,  but  on  a  larger  scale, 
were  held  in  honor  of  the  opening  of  the  canal.  The 
veteran  artillery  was  ordered  out  and  a  salute  was  fired 
from  a  battery.     A  New  York  poet  was  inspired  to 


TlllC   FA'OLL'TIOX   OF  A   STATE        1S9 

write  a  song  on  this  occasion  in  whicli  the  St.  .\lbans 
boat  was  called  "the  Barque  of  the  Mountains." 

Previous  to  the  opening  of  the  canal  it  had  taken 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  days  to  transport  goods  from 
Xew  York  to  St.  Albans,  at  an  expense  varying  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  dollars  per  ton.  The  time  re- 
quired by  canal  boats  was  from  ten  to  fourteen  days, 
and  the  cost  was  reduced  approximately  to  ten  dollars 
per  ton.  The  opening  of  the  Champlain  Canal  diverted 
to  New  York  considerable  commerce  from  Vermont 
which  had  gone  previously  to  Boston,  Mass.,  Hartford, 
Conn.,  and  Portland,  Me.  It  served  also  largely  to  in- 
crease the  importance  of  Burlington  as  a  port. 

In  its  issue  of  August  27,  1825,  Niles'  Register  said: 
"The  canal  which  unites  Lake  Champlain  to  the  Hudson 
is  completed  and  has  increased  the  business  of  that  part 
of  the  State  which  lies  west  of  the  Green  Mountains 
many  fold  already.  ^^  ^  t^  f hg  mountain  tops  are 
covering  with  sheep  and  the  pleasant  valleys  and  plains 
are  filled  with  cattle — the  thousand  streams  of  water, 
running  in  every  direction — are  beginning  to  be  applied 
to  the  great  business  of  manufacturing  iron,  wool,  etc., 
and  the  invaluable  mines  with  which  the  State  abounds, 
are  no  longer  to  be  useless,  because  that  their  products 
cannot  be  transported  to  market.  The  Vermont  iron, 
on  account  of  its  peculiar  qualities,  is  of  real  national 
importance,  and  the  quantity  is  inexhaustible.  The 
manufacture  has  not  hitherto  been  large,  but  it  is  about 
to  become  a  great  business.  We  observe  also  that  there 
is  a  copperas  factory  in  the  State,  at  \vhich  three  hun- 
dred tons  will  be  made  in  the  present  year — and   the 


190  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

mineral  supply  is  such  that  any  amount  to  be  required 
can  be  made. 

"At  the  village  of  Middlebury  it  is  estimated  that 
seventy  tons  of  wool  were  purchased  by  the  merchants 
and  sent  to  New  York,  Boston,  etc.  But  yet  the  great 
reliance  of  the  town  is  in  its  own  manufactories.  Otter 
Creek  flows  through  it,  and  the  following  works  are 
already  in  operation — three  flour  mills,  three  sawmills, 
one  furnace,  one  marble  sawing  mill,  one  paper  mill,  one 
oil  mill,  two  cotton  factories  and  a  third  building — one 
of  them  is  capable  of  holding  ten  thousand,  five  hundred 
spindles: — four  thousand,  eight  hundred  spindles  with 
sixty-eight  power  looms  are  now  actually  at  work  at 
Middlebury.  The  business  of  Burlington  is  equally 
great  and  prosperous,  and  many  of  the  smaller  towns 
and  villages  are  doing  a  large  business.  The  progress 
of  these  things  cannot  be  stopped." 

In  accordance  with  his  previous  announcement.  Gov- 
ernor Skinner  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  reelection 
in  1823,  and  Cornelius  P.  Van  Ness  of  Burlington  was 
elected,  receiving  11,479  votes.  Dudley  Chase  received 
1,088,  and  843  scattering  votes  were  cast.  Governor 
Van  Ness  was  a  member  of  a  distinguished  family  of 
Dutch  origin,  and  was  born  in  Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  Jan- 
uary 26,  1782.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  was  fitted 
to  enter  the  junior  class  of  Columbia  College,  but 
changed  his  plans  and  did  not  take  up  collegiate  work. 
Later  he  studied  law  in  the  office  of  his  brother  William, 
Martin  Van  Buren  being  a  fellow  student.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  his  native  town.     In  1806  he  removed  to  St. 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        191 

Albans,  Vt.,  and  in  1809  located  at  Burlington.  In 
1810,  upon  the  recommendation  of  Judge  Brockholst 
Livingston  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  Presi- 
dent Madison  appointed  him  United  States  District 
Attorney  for  Vermont.  He  held  this  office  until  1813, 
when  he  was  appointed  Collector  of  Customs,  a  position 
which  he  retained  until  the  close  of  the  second  war  with 
Great  Britain.  Reference  already  has  been  made  to  the 
important  service  rendered  by  him  as  Boundary  Com- 
missioner. From  1818  to  1821  he  represented  Burling- 
ton in  the  Legislature,  where  he  took  an  active  part  in 
debate  and  in  the  shaping  of  legislative  policies.  During 
the  years  1821  and  1822  he  served  the  State  as  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court.  He  held  the  office  of 
Governor  for  three  years,  declining  further  service  in 
that  position.  His  subsequent  career  will  be  considered 
later.     He  died  December  15,  1852. 

George  E.  Wales  of  Hartford,  who  had  been  chosen 
as  Speaker  late  in  the  session  of  1822  to  fill  out  the  unex- 
pired term  of  D.  Azro  A.  Buck,  w-as  reelected.  In  his 
inaugural  speech  Governor  Van  Ness  made  an  earnest 
plea  for  the  development  of  manufacturing  interests  and 
the  need  of  a  protective  tariff.  He  referred  to  a  recent 
decision  by  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  whereby 
the  schools  of  tlie  State  were  deprived  of  the  revenue 
from  the  rent  of  lands  originally  granted  by  the  British 
Government  to  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts.  He  called  attention  to  the  fact 
that  in  accordance  with  an  act  passed  in  1817  the  Secre- 
tary of  State  had  reported  that  there  were  seventy  deaf 
and  dumb  persons  in  the  State.     In  congratulating  the 


192  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

people  of  \^erniont  upon  the  opening  of  the  Chaniplain 
Canal  by  New  York,  he  said:  "A  new  era  has  indeed 
burst  upon  us  when  we  can  hear  of  the  arrival  of  vessels 
at  the  city  of  New  York  from  the  northern  extremity 
of  \>rmont."  During  this  session  the  law  providing 
imprisonment  for  debt  was  modified  and  made  less 
harsh.  All  horse  racing  for  any  bet  or  stakes  in  money, 
or  for  any  purse  or  premium,  was  declared  a  "common 
and  public  nuisance."  and  was  made  an  offence  against 
the  State.  Provision  was  made  for  the  appointment  of 
an  Inspector  General  of  beef  and  pork,  such  officer  to 
have  power  to  appoint  at  least  one  deputy  in  each  county. 
Resolutions  were  adopted  instructing  the  \>rmont  dele- 
gation in  Congress  to  support  all  lawful  measures  for 
the  encouragement  and  protection  of  manufactures.  A 
bill  to  choose  Presidential  Electors  by  popular  vote  was 
dismissed.  At  this  time  the  annual  salary  of  the  Gov- 
ernor was  seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars:  that  of  the 
Secretary  of  State,  four  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and 
of  the  State  Treasurer,  four  hundred  dollars. 

According  to  statistics  published  in  Niles'  Register, 
December  6,  1823.  there  were  in  \'ermont  at  that  time 
twenty-seven  cotton  and  woolen  factories,  thirteen 
paper  mills,  two  hundred  and  eighty-six  fulling  mills, 
two  hundred  and  fifty  carding  machines,  three  himdred 
and  eighty  grain  mills  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
distilleries.  There  were  also  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
four  lawyers,  three  hundred  and  eighty  physicians,  two 
hundred  and  thirty-five  churches  and  one  thousand,  five 
hundred  and  seventv-five  school  houses.      There  were 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        193 

one  thousand  Rcx'olutionary  pensioners  in   \  erniont  on 
March  1,  1823. 

The  overthrow  of  Spanish  government  in  South 
America  during  President  Monroe's  administration  was 
an  event  that  aroused  the  sympathy  of  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  new  American  republics  found 
an  ardent  champion  in  Henry  Clay,  who,  in  1820,  secured 
the  passage  of  a  resolution  declaring  that  it  was  expedi- 
ent to  provide  a  suitable  outfit  and  salary  for  such  Min- 
isters as  might  be  sent  by  this  country  to  any  of  the 
South  American  governments  which  had  established 
their  independence.  It  was  not  until  1822  that  Presi- 
dent Monroe  recommended  recognition  of  the  new  re- 
publican governments  which  had  won  their  independence 
from  Spain,  and  he  suggested  that  an  appropriation 
should  be  made  to  enable  him  to  send  Ministers  to  these 
countries.  Congress  responded  promptly  in  what  is  said 
to  have  been  the  most  popular  act  of  the  session.  Fol- 
lowing the  policy  thus  established,  and  during  the  year 
1823,  made  memorable  toward  its  close  by  the  announce- 
ment of  the  Monroe  Doctrine,  the  President  appointed  as 
the  first  American  Minister  to  Chili,  Heman  Allen  of 
Colchester.  He  was  a  son  of  Heber  Allen  and  a  nephew 
of  Ethan  and  Ira  Allen.  At  the  time  of  his  appointment 
he  was  United  States  Marshal  for  Vermont.  To  dis- 
tinguish him  from  Heman  Allen  of  Milton,  in  later 
years  he  was  known  as  ''Chili"  Allen.  He  was  received 
in  the  Chilian  capital  on  April  22,  1824,  with  great 
enthusiasm  and  much  pomp,  and  speeches  were  ex- 
changed.    Mr.  Allen  remained  as  Minister  during  the 


194  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 


remainder  of  Monroe's  administration  and  until  near 
the  end  of  John  Quincy  Adams'  term,  in  1828. 

In  February,  1823,  Mr.  White  of  Vermont  offered  a 
resolution  providing  that  a  part  of  the  proceeds  of  the 
public  lands  should  be  set  aside  for  the  general  purpose 
of  education. 

Mr.  Mallary  of  Vermont  offered  a  resolution  in  Con- 
gress on  December  23,  1823,  asking  the  President  to  lay 
before  the  House  such  information  as  he  might  possess, 
which  might  properly  be  disclosed,  relative  to  any  com- 
bination of  sovereigns  to  assist  Spain  in  the  subjugation 
of  her  late  American  colonies;  and  whether  any  Euro- 
pean government  was  disposed  to  oppose  such  combina- 
tion. This  resolution  relating  to  the  so-called  "Holy 
Alliance"  was  agreed  to  without  opposition.  In  a  speech 
made  by  Mr.  Mallary  on  December  26,  referring  to  the 
President's  Message,  in  which  the  Monroe  Doctrine 
was  announced,  he  said:  "The  President  would  not 
have  warned  the  two  Houses  of  Congress  that  all  their 
firmness  would  be  called  for,  if  there  were  not  some- 
thing of  serious  moment  on  the  political  horizon  not  seen 
by  all." 

At  the  opening  of  the  session  of  Congress  in  Decem- 
ber, 1823,  Senator  Seymour  was  made  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Accounts  and  Senator  Palmer  was  made 
a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Claims.  Among  the 
committee  assignments  in  the  House  were  the  following : 
Claims,  Rich;  Elections,  Mallary;  Public  Expenditures, 
Crafts;  Public  Lands,  Bradley.  In  a  call  dated  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1824,  Republican  members  of  Congress  were 
invited  to  meet  in  Representatives'  Hall,  on  the  evening 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        195 

of  February  14,  to  rcconinicnd  candidates  for  President 
and  Vice  President.  The  call  was  headed  by  the  name 
of  Richard  M.  Johnson  of  Kentucky,  and  among  the 
signers  were  Robert  Y.  Hayne  of  South  CaroHna  and 
Charles  Rich  of  Vermont.  No  Vermont  members 
attended  this  caucus  which  nominated  William  H. 
Crawford  of  Georgia  for  President  and  Albert  Gallatin 
of  Pennsylvania  for  Vice  President.  Only  two  out  of 
thirteen  Vermont  newspapers  are  reported  as  favoring 
the  caucus.  William  Jarvis,  a  former  United  States 
Consul  to  Portugal,  who  had  been  active  in  introducing 
Merino  sheep  into  the  United  States,  had  become  a 
power  in  Vermont  politics.  He  had  visited  the  Ver- 
mont Legislature  and  secured  the  calling  of  a  convention 
which  indorsed  the  Presidential  candidacy  of  John 
Quincy  Adams. 

\>rmont  was  becoming  thoroughly  interested  in  a 
protective  tariff.  To  this  policy  and  to  an  intense  hatred 
of  slavery,  may  be  traced,  in  no  inconsiderable  degree, 
the  political  alignments  of  Vermont  since  the  rise  of  the 
Whig  party.  When  the  tariff  bill  of  1824  was  under 
discussion  on  February  27,  Mr.  Mallary  followed  James 
Buchanan  in  supporting  the  bill  "in  an  able  speech  of 
three  hours."  His  attitude  had  changed  from  hostility 
to  support  of  a  protective  tariff.  On  motion  of  Mr. 
Rich  of  Vermont,  by  a  vote  of  103  to  97,  the  House 
provided  for  an  ad  valorem  duty  on  woolens,  the 
author  of  this  resolution  believing  that  this  change, 
which  carried  a  reduction  of  duties,  was  necessary  to 
the  passage  of  the  bill.  All  the  Vermont  Congressmen 
supported  this  tariff*  measure.     Mr.  Mallary  and  Mr. 


196  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Rich  were  prominent  in  the  tariff  debates.  Apparently 
Vermont  members  of  the  House  were  more  prominent 
in  pubUc  aft'airs  at  this  time  than  Vermont  Senators.  It 
was  reported  in  newspapers  of  the  period  that  the  iron 
business  of  Vermont  w^as  encouraged  by  the  new  tariff. 
Niles'  Register  in  its  issue  of  July  23,  1825,  reported 
that  increased  attention  was  being  paid  to  the  raising  of 
sheep  in  Vermont,  since  the  duty  levied  on  foreign  wool 
assured  the  farmers  of  stability  in  the  home  market. 

About  the  time  that  Mathew  Carey  and  Henry  Clay 
began  to  advocate  a  protective  tariff,  former  Consul 
William  Jarvis  of  Weathersfield,  Vt.,  became  interested 
in  the  subject,  and  wrote  and  published  several  pamphlets 
on  this  theme.  He  is  said  to  have  spent  ten  thousand 
dollars  in  collecting  and  disseminating  information  on 
the  subject.  In  1823  he  prepared  a  memorial  to  Con- 
gress, giving  a  description  of  the  benefits  of  such  a 
policy  and  a  history  of  protective  tariff's  in  Great  Britain. 
This  memorial  was  signed  by  many  Vermonters.  For 
several  years  the  Governors  of  the  State  in  their  in- 
augural speeches,  had  advocated  the  encouragement  of 
American  manufactures.  Copies  of  this  memorial  were 
sent  to  the  Vermont  Congressional  delegation  and  to 
Henry  Clay.  The  document  is  said  to  have  had  con- 
siderable effect  in  inducing  Congress  to  support  a  pro- 
tective policy.  About  the  year  1824,  James  Perkins  of 
Boston  established  a  broadcloth  factory  on  the  Black 
River,  the  village  being  named  Perkinsville  in  his  honor. 
Mr.  Jarvis  sent  some  of  his  best  Merino  wool  to  the 
Perkins  factory,  where  it  was  made  into  black  broad- 
cloth.    A  full  pattern  for  a  suit  of  clothes  was  sent 


THE  E\'OLUTlOX   OF  A   STATE        VJl 

by  Mr.  jarvis  to  Henry  Clay  as  a  specimen  of  the  degree 
of  perfection  wliich  Vermont  manufactures  had 
attained. 

Governor  Van  Ness  was  reelected  in  1824  without 
serious  opposition,  receiving  13,413  votes.  Joel  Doolittle 
of  Middlebury  received  1,962,  and  the  scattering  votes 
nunil)ered  346.  Congressmen  Mallary.  Bradley,  Rich 
and  Meech  were  reelected,  and  John  Mattocks,  elected  in 
1820  as  a  member  of  Congress,  succeeded  Mr.  Buck. 

In  his  inaugm-al  address  Governor  Van  Ness  referred 
to  the  passage  of  a  tariff  bill,  of  which  he  said  that, 
"although  falling  short  of  the  just  expectations  of  friends 
of  domestick  industry  it  is  to  be  hoped  (it)  will  lead 
to  further  measures,  and  in  the  end  prove  to  have  been 
but  the  commencement  of  a  system  that  alone  can  exalt 
this  nation  to  that  lofty  eminence  which,  by  a  wise  direc- 
tion of  her  resources,  she  is  destined  to  occupy."  The 
Governor  recommended  a  revision  of  the  militia  and  the 
school  laws,  larger  revenue  for  education,  and  less 
oppressive  laws  dealing  with  debtors.  Reference  was 
made  to  the  appointment  of  George  P.  Marsh  to  collect 
information  relative  to  deaf  and  dumb  persons,  and  to 
the  employment  of  Daniel  Webster  as  counsel  for  the 
State  in  a  suit  brought  by  the  town  of  New  Haven 
relative  to  the  rights  of  land  granted  to  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts.  He 
strongly  favored  the  choice  of  Presidential  Electors  by 
popular  vote  rather  than  by  the  Legislature,  and  urged 
that  an  invitation  should  be  extended  to  General 
Lafayette  to  visit  the  State  before  he  returned  to 
France. 


198  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

George  E.  Wales  of  Hartford  was  elected  Speaker. 
The  work  of  the  session  included  an  act  providing  that 
on  and  after  the  second  Tuesday  of  November,  1828, 
Presidential  Electors  should  be  chosen  by  the  freemen. 
A  bill  making  the  law  immediately  effective  was  de- 
feated by  a  vote  of  183  to  23.  Many  members  had 
been  chosen  with  instructions  to  support  certain  candi- 
dates for  Electors,  and  the  time  was  considered  too 
short  to  put  in  operation  a  law  providing  for  a  choice 
by  popular  vote  in  November,  1824.  The  Supreme 
Court,  as  constituted,  consisted  of  a  Chief  Justice,  who 
should  be  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Court,  and  two 
Assistant  Justices.  The  Bank  of  Rutland  was  incorpo- 
rated and  a  charter  was  granted  to  the  Connecticut  River 
Company,  the  purpose  of  which  was  the  improvement 
of  the  navigation  of  the  Connecticut  River,  and  power 
was  granted  to  construct  locks  and  canals,  operate 
steamboats,  etc.  That  portion  of  the  Governor's  mes- 
sage relating  to  General  Lafayette  was  referred  to  a 
special  committee,  which  expressed  "feelings  of  attach- 
ment and  veneration  for  him  who  is  emphatically  styled 
the  'Nation's  Guest'."  The  report  continued:  "As  a 
nation  we  owe  him  a  debt  of  gratitude.  Vermont,  in  com- 
mon with  her  sister  States,  will  rejoice  in  an  opportunity 
of  manifesting  it  by  a  solemn  and  public  act."  A  reso- 
lution was  adopted  formally  inviting  General  Lafayette, 
in  behalf  of  the  people  of  the  State,  to  extend  his  tour 
into  Vermont;  and  requesting  the  Governor  to  "direct 
such  military  and  other  arrangements  for  the  reception 
of  so  beloved  and  deserving  a  guest  as  will  comport  with 
the  occasion." 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        199 

The  nienibers  of  the  Vermont  Legislature  were  ahnost 
uiianinioiisly  in  favor  of  John  Quincy  Adams  for  Presi- 
dent, and  the  following  Presidential  Electors  were 
chosen:  Jonas  Galiisha  of  Shaftsbury,  John  Mason  of 
Castleton,  Titus  Hutchinson  of  Woodstock,  Dan  Car- 
penter of  Waterbury,  Joseph  Burr  of  Manchester,  Asa 
Aldis  of  St.  Albans  and  Jabez  Proctor  of  Cavendish. 
The  vote  of  the  Vermont  Electors  was  cast  for  John 
Quincy  Adams  and  John  C.  Calhoun,  all  the  New  Eng- 
land States  supporting  this  ticket.  There  were  four 
candidates  for  President:  John  Quincy  Adams  of 
Massachusetts,  Henry  Clay  of  Kentucky,  William  H. 
Crawford  of  Georgia  and  Andrew  Jackson  of  Tennessee. 
No  candidate  received  a  majority  of  the  electoral  votes, 
the  division  being,  Jackson,  99;  Adams,  84;  Crawford, 
41 :  Clay,  Z7 .  The  election,  therefore,  was  throw^n  into 
the  TTouse  of  Representatives,  a  choice  being  made  from 
the  three  candidates  having  the  largest  number  of  votes. 
Clay,  being  eliminated,  threw  his  strength  to  Adams, 
who  received  the  votes  of  thirteen  States,  and  was  de- 
clared elected.  Jackson  was  supported  by  seven  and 
Crawford  by  four  States. 

When  the  new's  of  the  election  of  John  Quincy  Adams 
as  President  of  the  United  States  was  received  at  Bur- 
lington, there  was  general  satisfaction  over  the  choice 
of  a  New^  England  statesman.  National  salutes  were 
fired  and  a  party  of  prominent  citizens  celebrated  the 
event  at  a  dinner  held  at  Gould's  Hotel.  Among  those 
in  attendance  were  Governor  Van  Ness,  District  Attor- 
ney William  A.  Griswold  and  Chief  Judge  Timothy  Fol- 
lett  of  Chittenden  County  Court.     Toasts  were  drunk 


200  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

to  the  President-elect,  Henry  Clay,  General  Jackson  and 
William  H.  Crawford,  unsuccessful  candidates  for  the 
Presidency;  to  the  State  of  Vermont,  the  Governor  of 
Vermont  and  the  Governor  of  New  York.  Interest  was 
added  to  the  occasion  by  the  rumor  that  Governor  Van 
Ness  might  be  invited  to  enter  the  new  President's  Cab- 
inet. Long  before  the  end  of  the  Adams  administra- 
tion, however,  the  relations  of  President  and  Governor 
were  destined  to  undergo  a  marked  change. 

Vermont  and  the  Nation  suffered  a  serious  loss  on 
October  15,  1824,  in  the  death  of  Congressman  Charles 
Rich,  aged  about  fifty-three  years,  at  his  home  in  Shore- 
ham,  after  a  short  illness.  He  was  a  strong  supporter 
of  the  new  tariff  policy,  and  a  leader  in  Congress. 
N lies'  Register  said  of  him:  "A  more  upright  and  use- 
ful member  than  he  v/as  does  not  remain  in  the  House 
of  Representatives."  At  a  special  election,  held  in 
December,  Henry  Olin  of  Leicester  was  chosen  to  fill 
the  vacancy  in  Congress  caused  by  the  death  of  Mr. 
Rich.  He  was  born  in  Shaftsbury,  May  7,  1768,  being 
a  son  of  Justice  John  H.  Olin,  and  a  nephew  of  Gideon 
Olin,  one  of  the  early  Vermont  leaders  and  a  member  of 
Congress  from  1803  to  1807.  He  represented  Leicester 
in  the  Legislature  from  1799  to  1804,  1806  to  1815,  1817 
to  1819,  and  1822  to  1824,  twenty-two  terms  in  all.  In 
1820  and  1821  he  was  a  member  of  the  Executive  Coun- 
cil. He  was  elected  an  Assistant  Judge  of  Addison 
County  Court,  serving  from  1801  to  1807  and  1808  to 
18  10.  He  was  Chief  Judge  from  1807  to  1808,  and  1820 
to  1824.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
ventions of  1814,  1822  and  1828.     He  served  one  term 


THE  KXULL'TIOX   Ol«    A   STATE        'JOl 

in  Congress  and  was  Lieutenant  Governor  from  1827  to 
1830.  He  was  a  man  of  lari^e  physique,  genial  tem])er 
and  ready  wit.     lie  died  August  13,  1837. 

When  Congress  convened  in  December,  1824,  Sena- 
tor Pahuer  was  assigned  to  the  Committee  on  Claims 
and  Senator  Seymour  to  the  Committees  on  Judiciary 
and  Accounts.  In  the  House,  Mr,  Mallary  was  given 
a  place  upon  the  important  Committee  on  Manufactures 
and  Mr.  Bradley  was  assigned  to  the  Library  Com- 
mittee. Early  in  the  session  Mr.  Mallary  called  atten- 
tion to  the  dismantled  condition  of  "the  navy"  on  Lake 
Champlain,  urging  the  need  of  fitting  out  a  w-arship  for 
the  protection  of  the  lake.  Only  ten  years  had  elapsed 
since  the  Battle  of  Plattsburg,  and  the  possibility  of  war 
was  still  present  in  the  minds  of  American  citizens. 
Mr.  Mallary  offered  a  resolution,  which  w^as  adopted,  in- 
structing the  Ways  and  Means  Committee  to  inquire 
into  the  expediency  of  making  provision  for  the  building 
of  "a  steam  vessel  of  war"  for  the  defence  of  Lake 
Champlain.  Both  Vermont  Senators  voted  against  the 
bill  to  authorize  the  necessary  survey  of  roads  and 
canals.  They  opposed  striking  from  the  tariff  bill  the 
duty  on  iron  and  the  reduction  of  the  diUies  on  wool 
and  woolen  goods,  but  on  the  passage  of  the  bill  both 
voted  in  the  affirmative. 

The  summer  of  1824  v\-as  made  memorable  by  the  ar- 
rival from  France  of  General  Lafayette,  after  an  absence 
of  nearly  fifty  years.  The  whole  Nation  welcomed  him 
with  the  utmost  cordiality  and  afifection.  He  arrived  in 
New^  York  on  August  15,  and  during  a  period  of  about 
fourteen  months  he  visited  everv  State  in  the  Union 


202  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

and  all  the  leading  cities.  Municipalities  and  com- 
monwealths vied  in  paying  honors  to  the  "Nation's 
Guest."  The  spirit  of  the  American  people,  their  sturdy 
independence  and  their  love  for  Washington's  friend, 
were  admirably  voiced  in  Sprague's  lines: 

"We  bow  not  the  neck  and  we  bend  not  the  knee, 
But  our  hearts,  Lafayette,  we  surrender  to  thee." 

He  arrived  at  the  national  capital  just  before  the  open- 
ing of  the  Congressional  session  and  remained  in  Wash- 
ington most  of  the  winter.  Some  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished members  of  Congress,  including  Daniel  Web- 
ster, were  appointed  on  the  committee  to  welcome  the 
famous  French  visitor  and  on  this  committee  Mr.  Mal- 
lary  of  Vermont  was  appointed. 

Governor  Van  Ness,  in  behalf  of  the  people  of  Ver- 
mont, on  December  24,  1824,  formally  invited  General 
Lafayette  to  visit  the  State.  The  invitation  was 
accepted  in  a  courteous  letter,  in  which  the  General  said : 
"It  has  ever  been  my  intention  not  to  leave  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic  before  I  have  visited  the  State  of  Ver- 
mont, in  the  feelings  of  which  (since)  the  first  times  of 
our  Revolution,  I  have  heartily  sympathized,  while  its 
services  to  the  common  cause  were  by  none  better  felt 
than  by  me,  who  may  boast  to  have  been  early  dis- 
tinguished by  the  kindness  of  the  citizens  of  Vermont." 

Coming  directly  from  Massachusetts,  where  Daniel 
Webster,  on  Bunker  Hill,  had  delivered  the  noble  speech 
which  was  to  become  a  classic  in  American  oratory, 
Lafayette  and  his  party  entered  Vermont   from   New 


THE  IvVCJM'TIOX   OF   A   STATE        20:] 

Hampshire  on  the  morning  of  June  28,  1825.  No  more 
beautiful  season  of  the  year  could  have  been  chosen 
than  the  closing  days  of  June.  The  party  consisted  of 
General  Lafayette;  his  son,  George  Washington 
Lafayette;  his  secretary,  M.  Le  Vasseur;  a  committee 
representing  the  New  Hampshire  Legislature;  Daniel 
Kellogg,  Secretary  of  the  Governor  and  Council  of  Ver- 
mont; and  the  Governor's  staff,  including  General 
Mower  and  Colonels  Cushman  and  Austin. 

Entering  Windsor  over  the  Cornish  bridge,  the  party 
was  welcomed  on  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  the  village  by 
Hon.  Horace  Everett,  who  introduced  the  distinguished 
visitor  to  the  Governor  of  Vermont.  In  an  eloquent  ad- 
dress, Governor  \''an  Ness  welcomed  Lafayette  to  the 
Green  Mountain  State.  Referring  to  the  presence  of 
several  veterans  of  the  American  Revolution,  he  said: 
'"With  their  bodies  enfeebled  by  the  ravages  of  many  a 
year,  and  their  locks  bleached  by  the  sun  of  many  a 
summer,  their  hearts,  yet  warm  as  the  warmest,  and 
tender  as  the  tenderest,  will  be  lighted  up  and  animated 
with  a  blaze,  kindled  by  a  spark  from  the  altar  of  '76, 
but  whose  blissful  warmth  none  but  they  and  you  can  be 
permitted  fully  to  realize." 

In  his  reply  General  Lafayette  spoke  in  a  manner 
which  may  have  indicated  that  he  had  previously 
visited  Vermont.  If  this  was  a  fact  it  must  have  been 
in  1778,  when  plans  were  made  for  an  invasion  of 
Canada  under  Lafayette's  command,  for  which  Vermont 
was  asked  to  furnish  three  hundred  men.  In  his  reply 
the  guest  of  honor  said:  ''From  this  State,  Sir,  by  a 
gallant  band  of  patriots,  and  their  worthy  leader  and 


204  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

prototype,  was,  for  the  first  time  proclaimed  on  the  ram- 
parts of  a  British  fortress,  the  name  of  the  Continental 
Congress.  Nor  ever  did  the  vicinity  of  the  enemy  on  the 
northern  frontier,  and  family  difficulties  on  every  other 
side,  one  instant  cool  the  ardour  of  the  sons  of  Vermont 
to  defend  the  cause  of  American  independence  and  free- 
dom. *  *  *  I  thank  you  for  your  sympathy,  for 
the  delight  I  feel  to  see  the  happy  citizens  of  Vermont 
enjoying  all  the  blessings  of  republican  liberty,  and 
among  them  to  recognize  many  of  my  beloved  com- 
panions in  arms.  Be  pleased  to  accept  in  your  own 
name  and  in  behalf  of  the  people  and  representatives  of 
Vermont,  the  tribute  of  my  respectful  devotion  and 
gratitude." 

VVeathersfield  had  begun  a  road  to  the  summit  of  Mt. 
Ascutney  in  order  that  Lafayette  might  enjoy  the  noble 
view  afforded,  but  change  in  his  schedule  brought  him 
to  Windsor  by  another  route,  and  the  road  project  w^as 
abandoned. 

At  Woodstock,  the  party  was  welcomed  by  Hon.  Titus 
Hutchinson  and  to  this  greeting  General  Lafayette  made 
a  brief  but  appropriate  reply.  At  Royal  ton,  Hon.  Jacob 
Collamer  welcomed  him  "to  the  green  hills  and  happy 
villages  of  Vermont,"  saying,  "with  sincere  hearts  would 
we  wish  to  add  to  the  gratulations  of  our  cities  our 
rustic  salutations  of  welcome,  and  thus  to  express  a 
nation's  gratitude  to  its  early  benefactor."  A  fitting 
response  was  made.  At  East  Randolph,  Lafayette  is 
said  to  have  been  welcomed  by  Rev.  Wilbur  Fisk. 

Montpelier  was  reached  about  ten  o'clock  on  the  eve- 
ning of  June  28.     The  Washington  artillery,  the  Mont- 


'rill-:  i%\()iA"rTox  of  a  state      205 

pclier  Light  Infantry  and  the  BerHn  Infantry  escorted 
the  guests,  and  a  C()nij)any  of  JMontpeHer  boys  al^out 
fourteen  years  old,  acted  as  a  bodyguard.  Greetings 
were  extended  by  Hon.  Elijah  Paine,  Judge  of  the 
United  States  District  Court,  who  said  in  his  speech  of 
welcome  to  General  Lafayette:  "When  you  left  this 
country  after  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  the  State  of 
X'erniont  had  just  begun  to  have  a  name.  At  that  time 
alm(\st  the  whole  State  was  a  wilderness, — yet  we  are 
proud  of  some  of  the  feats  performed  in  that  war  by 
the  arms  of  V^ermont.  We  count  upon  ourselves  as 
principals  in  the  capture  of  a  whole  British  army  under 
Burgoyne,  the  consequences  of  which  are  too  well  known 
to  you  to  need  a  rehearsal.  The  State  of  Vermont  can- 
not show  to  you  large  towns  and  cities ;  but  it  can  show 
to  you  what  is,  perhaps,  of  as  much  consequence — it  can 
show  to  you  a  sober,  substantial,  intelligent  and  well  in- 
formed yeomanry." 

In  his  reply  Lafayette  said:  "Well  may  I,  Sir, 
acknowledge  the  patriotic  titles  of  this  State,  not  only 
as  having  been  the  theatre  of  a  most  important  event, 
the  victory  of  Bennington,  and  having  largely  con- 
tributed to  the  happy  turns  in  the  north — but  also  as 
having  by  her  devotion  to  the  general  cause,  and  by  the 
gallantry  of  her  hardy  sons  constantly  taken  a  great  pro- 
portionate share  in  our  Revolutionary  struggle;  nor 
shall  I  omit  this  opportunity  to  express  my  early  interest 
in  the  local  feelings  and  wishes  of  the  State  of 
Vermont." 

On  the  morning  of  June  29  the  women  of  Montpelier 
assembled  in  the  Congregational  Church,   when   Mrs. 


206  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

Erastus  Watrous  extended  a  cordial  welcome  "to  our 
country,  our  homes  and  our  hearts."  The  General 
expressed  his  appreciation  in  a  brief  speech.  The  party 
then  started  for  Burlington.  It  was  met  at  Williston 
by  a  detachment  of  cavalry,  and  at  the  top  of  the  College 
hill  by  a  band,  the  Independent  Greys,  the  court  and 
civil  authorities,  the  President  and  officers  of  the  Univer- 
sity, Revolutionary  soldiers,  college  students  and  citizens. 
The  arrival  was  announced  by  a  salute  of  artillery,  the 
ringing  of  bells  and  the  "protracted  cheers  of  an  immense 
multitude." 

Hon.  William  A.  Griswold  in  an  eloquent  speech  wel- 
comed the  distinguished  visitor.  In  his  reply  Lafayette 
declared:  "Among  the  Revolutionary  soldiers,  whom 
it  is  my  delight  to  meet,  I  have  the  gratification,  in  the 
sons  of  the  Green  Mountains,  to  find  many  who  have 
been  my  intimate  companions."  He  alluded  to  "the 
spirited  part"  which  Vermont  soldiers  had  taken  in  the 
War  of  1812,  saying:  "One  of  the  theatres  of  the 
honorable  achievements  of  that  war,  both  on  water  and 
on  land,  we  may  almost  greet  from  this  place,  on  the 
opposite  shore."  General  Lafayette  rode  in  an  open 
barouche,  drawn  by  four  handsome  gray  horses.  A 
public  dinner  was  given  at  Gould's  Hotel,  attended  by 
about  two  hundred  guests,  at  which  Horace  Loomis 
presided.  Lafayette  gave  this  toast:  "The  Town  of 
Burlington — May  the  Holy  Alliance  of  Agriculture, 
Manufacturing,  Industry  and  Commerce,  under  the 
influence  of  her  republican  institutions  and  her  fortunate 
situation,  more  and  more  ensure  her  prosperity  and  hap- 
piness."    On  l)cing  asked  to  give  another  toast,  he  pro- 


TliE  EVOLUTIOX   UK  A  STATE        207 

posed  the  following:  "The  memory  of  Ethan  Allen  and 
his  early  companions,  the  old  Green  Mountain  Boys." 

All  the  Revolutionary  soldiers  who  were  able  to  attend, 
assembled  in  the  large  room  of  the  tavern.  Sergeant 
Day  of  Lafayette's  regiment  was  present,  bearing  the 
sword  given  to  him  by  his  old  commander,  and  the  inter- 
view between  the  two  men  is  said  to  have  been  very 
affecting.  David  Russell  in  behalf  of  the  surviving 
officers  and  soldiers,  extended  a  cordial  welcome  and 
Lafayette  responded  in  a  felicitous  speech. 

After  dinner  the  General  laid  the  corner  stone  of  what 
is  now  the  south  portion  of  the  Old  College  building  of 
the  University  of  Vermont,  the  first  edifice  having  been 
destroyed  by  fire.  President-elect  Willard  Preston  wel- 
comed him  to  a  spot  "consecrated  to  Science  and  Litera- 
ture." In  his  response  the  General  expressed  his  sense 
of  the  honor  conferred  upon  him  and  said  in  substance 
that  he  was  sure  that  the  young  sons  of  Vermont  would 
ever  evince  in  their  studies  the  same  ardor  and  per- 
severance which  at  all  times  and  on  every  occasion  had 
characterized  the  spirited  inhabitants  of  the  Green 
Mountains.  He  was  then  introduced  to  the  faculty  and 
students.  Fifty-eight  years  later,  a  bronze  statue  of 
Lafayette,  the  work  of  J.  O.  A.  Ward,  one  of  America's 
most  distinguished  sculptors,  was  unveiled  on  the  Uni- 
versity campus,  being  the  gift  of  John  P.  Howard. 

The  closing  feature  of  Vermont's  hospitality  was  a 
notable  reception  given  to  General  Lafayette  and  party 
and  the  State  officers  in  the  spacious  mansion  of  Gov- 
ernor Van  Ness,  "in  a  style  of  magnificent  hospitality 
suited  to  his  liberal  temper  and  ample  means,"  according 


208  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

to  a  description  given  in  a  biographical  sketch  of  the 
Governor.  The  great  house  was  brilliantly  illuminated 
and  the  spacious  grounds  were  "fancifully  lighted  up." 
Across  the  gate  at  the  foot  of  the  avenue  a  transparent 
arch  had  been  erected,  bearing  the  inscription,  "Welcome 
Lafayette."  At  the  close  of  this  brilliant  function, 
General  Lafayette  and  his  party  left  at  eleven  o'clock  at 
night,  embarked  on  the  steamer  Phoenix  and  proceeded 
to  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  after  being  saluted  by  the  Phoenix 
and  the  Congress.  The  former  ship  displayed  the 
American  and  French  colors  and  the  flags  of  most  of  the 
European  nations.  The  latter  craft  was  brilliantly 
illuminated  and  displayed  in  a  transparency  a  full 
length  portrait  of  General  Washington. 

One  of  the  interesting  incidents  of  Lafayette's  visit 
to  Vermont,  which  illustrates  his  generous  sympathy 
for  his  comrades,  as  well  as  the  oppressive  laws  of  that 
period,  was  an  interview  which  he  had  at  Montpelier 
with  Gen.  Isaac  Fletcher  of  Lyndon  concerning  a  former 
associate,  Gen.  William  Barton,  formerly  of  Rhode 
Island,  who  had  founded  the  Vermont  town  which  bears 
his  name.  He  had  suffered  financial  reverses  and  for 
a  long  time  had  been  confined  in  jail  for  debt.  As  a 
result  of  the  information  then  given,  early  in  Seplcniber 
Lafayette  wrote  a  letter  from  the  Brandyivine,  a  ship 
built  to  convey  the  distinguished  guest  to  his  home  over- 
seas, enclosing  a  draft  for  a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  General 
Barton's  debts.  The  prisoner  thereupon  was  released 
and  in  December  rejoined  his  family  in  Providence, 
R.  I. 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        209 

Governor  \'an  Xe^s  was  reelected  in  1825  and 
D.  Azro  A.  Buck  of  Chelsea  again  was  chosen  Speaker. 
In  his  inaugural  address  Governor  Van  Ness  expressed 
his  satisfaction  that  the  choice  of  President  of  the  United 
States  had  fallen  on  such  an  eminent  statesman  as  John 
Quincy  Adams.  Referring  to  the  condition  of  Vermont, 
he  alluded  to  the  "abundant  evidence  of  her  increasing 
progress  in  wealth  and  population,  and  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  mind  and  the  morals ;  of  the  improvement  of  her 
agricultural,  manufacturing  and  commercial  interests; 
and  of  the  prevalence  of  an  unusual  degree  of  harmony 
and  good  feeling  throughout  the  whole  community." 
He  suggested  the  propriety  of  creating  a  permanent 
school  fund.  A  reference  was  made  to  the  visit  of  Gen- 
eral Lafayette,  and  a  subsequent  report  showed  that  the 
expense  of  the  State,  in  connection  therewith,  was 
$564.77.  The  Governor  alluded  to  various  canal  enter- 
prises, particularly  to  those  designed  to  connect  Lake 
Memphremagog  with  the  Connecticut  River  at  Barnet, 
and  Lakes  Champlain  and  Memphremagog.  He  urged 
the  importance  of  encouraging  internal  improvements, 
but  advised  that  the  State  proceed  w'ith  caution.  He 
hoped  that  the  fact  that  the  State  only  bordered  on  the 
Connecticut  River  would  not  deprive  the  project  of  gen- 
eral interest,  "as  it  should  always  be  remembered  that 
a  benefit  to  one  part  of  the  State,  wdthout  an  actual 
deprivation  to  the  other  parts,  is  a  benefit  to  the  whole." 

Following  the  opening  of  the  Champlain  Canal  and  the 
benefit  to  the  Champlain  valley  which  resulted,  Mont- 
pelier  business  men  began  an  investigation  of  canal 
possibilities  in  the  A\'^inooski  valley.     A  canal  convention 


210  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

was  held  at  the  State  House  in  Montpelier  on  June  30, 
1825,  which  adopted  resokitions  in  favor  of  a  survey 
from  the  Connecticut  River  to  Lake  Champlain.  Dele- 
gates were  in  attendance  from  Caledonia,  Chittenden, 
Orange  and  Washington  counties.  Araunah  Water- 
man, John  L.  Woods  and  John  Downer  were  appointed 
commissioners  and  they  appointed  Anthony  M.  Hoff- 
man of  Swanton  as  engineer.  Having  been  notified  that 
United  States  engineers  would  cooperate  with  Vermont 
engineers,  Governor  Van  Ness  appointed  Horace 
Everett  of  Windsor  and  Nicholas  Baylies  of  Mont- 
pelier, commissioners,  and  a  sum  for  necessary  expenses 
was  raised  by  subscription.  Surveys  were  made  of  pos- 
sible routes  from  Lake  Memphremagog  to  the  Connecti- 
cut River,  one  terminating  at  Barnet  and  one  at  Bruns- 
wick. Before  the  close  of  the  legislative  session  the 
Governor  was  authorized  to  appoint  two  canal  commis- 
sioners and  an  appropriation  was  made  for  their 
expenses.  Robert  Pierpoint  of  Rutland  and  Samuel  C. 
Crafts  of  Craftsbury  were  appointed. 

A  canal  convention  was  held  at  Windsor,  February 
16,  1825,  which  advocated  improvements  on  the  Con- 
necticut River.  A  later  report,  made  by  United  States 
engineers,  was  to  the  efifect  that  the  supply  of  water 
was  too  uncertain  to  warrant  large  expenditures  for  a 
canal  connecting  Lake  Champlain  at  Burlington  with  the 
Connecticut  River  by  way  of  the  Winooski  and  White 
River  valleys.  All  these  canal  schemes  were  finally 
abandoned,  except  the  removal  of  obstacles  in  the  Con- 
necticut River  to  permit  steamboats  to  ascend  the  stream 
as  far  as  the  mouth  of  Wells  River.     During  the  period 


Stephen  A.  Dougla?,  Born  at  Brandon,  Vt. 


FUi^LlC  U^AkM 


THE  EX'OLUTION   OF  A  STATE        211 

of  canal  agitation  surveys  were  made  for  Memphrenia- 
gog,  Passumpsic,  Lamoille,  Montpelier  and  Rutland 
Canals,  and  the  Otter  Creek,  Castleton  River  and  Batten- 
kill  Canal  companies  were  formed. 

Among  the  important  acts  of  the  legislative  session  of 
1825  were  the  chartering  of  the  Bank  of  Montpelier,  the 
Bank  of  St.  Albans,  the  Bank  of  Caledonia  and  the 
Ascutney  Fire  Insurance  Company  at  Windsor. 
Juniper  Island,  in  Lake  Champlain,  near  Burlington, 
was  granted  to  the  United  States  Government  for  a 
lighthouse.  The  amount  due  the  State  from  the  Ver- 
mont State  Bank  was  sequestered  and  granted  to  be 
used  as  a  fund  for  the  common  schools. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1825,  N lies'  Register 
announced  that  "the  manufacture  of  iron  and  of  wool, 
together  with  the  raising  of  sheep,  are  doing  great  things 
for  Vermont.  *  =h  *  This  mountain  region  is  one 
of  the  most  prosperous  in  the  United  States.  The  out- 
let to  the  sea  by  the  New  York  canal  is  of  immense  im- 
portance to  it."  In  August,  1826,  this  publication  said: 
"The  manufactures  of  the  Green  Mountains  have  risen 
almost  to  a  level  with  those  of  Europe.  The  people  of 
the  State  are  now  manufacturing  wool  and  cotton  to  a 
very  large  amount ;  also  iron,  copperas,  marble  and  other 
raw^  materials,  with  considerable  profit."  Like  some 
other  newspapers,  with  the  best  of  intentions,  the  facts 
concerning  Vermont  industries  probably  were  exagger- 
ated, but  most  manufacturing  enterprises  of  that  day 
were  small,  when  compared  with  business  operations 
nearly  a  century  later.  There  were  one  hundred  manu- 
facturing companies  in  the  State  and  fifty  turnpike  com- 


212  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

I)cinies.  Eight  hundred  tons  of  copperas  had  been  man- 
ufactured at  the  Strafford  mines.  It  was  announced 
that  navigation  of  Otter  Creek  from  Lake  Champlain 
to  the  falls  at  Vergennes  could  be  effected  in  two  or 
three  hours,  a  great  saving  in  time.  This  had  been 
made  possible  by  the  construction  of  a  road  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  stream,  and  horses  were  kept  in  readiness 
for  towing  vessels.  At  that  time,  a  packet  boat  plied 
between  Vergennes  and  the  mouth  of  Otter  Creek.  A 
steam  ferry  operated  between  Burlington  and  Port 
Kent,  N.  Y.,  making  two  round  trips  daily.  Boston 
stages  by  way  of  Windsor  and  IMontpelier,  and  Rutland 
and  Middlebury  arrived  at  Burlington  three  times  a 
week,  while  a  stage  from  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
State  made  weekly  trips  to  the  same  place. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  national  independence  was 
suitably  observed  on  July  4,  1826,  in  the  principal  towns 
of  the  State. 

In  Congress,  Vermont  Senators,  at  the  opening  of  the 
regular  session  in  December,  1825,  were  assigned  to 
committees  as  follows:  Seymour — Naval  Affairs, 
Chairman  Contingent  Expenses  of  the  Senate;  Chase — 
Claims,  Pensions,  Roads  and  Canals.  In  the  House  the 
Vermont  members  were  assigned  to  the  following  com- 
mittees: Mallary,  Chairman  Manufactures;  Bradley, 
Chairman  Weights  and  Measures,  Expenditures  Library 
of  Congress;  Meech,  Agriculture:  Wales,  Public 
Expenditures;  Mattocks,  Chairman  Expenditures  in 
War  Department. 

In  July,  1826,  Mr.  Bradley  announced  in  the  Bellows 
Falls  Intelligencer  that  he  would  not  be  a  candidate  for 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        213 

reelection.  Durini,^  his  last  term  in  the  House  his  rela- 
tions with  President  Adams  had  become  strained,  owing- 
to  what  he  considered  a  breach  of  faith  on  the  part  of 
llie  Executive.  He  transferred  his  allein^iance  to  General 
Jackson  and  until  near  the  close  of  his  life  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Democratic  party. 

In  the  fall  elections,  Ezra  Butler  of  Waterbury,  a 
Baptist  clergyman,  who  had  served  a  term  in  Congress, 
and  a  follower  of  Jefferson  in  political  faith,  was  elected 
Governor,  receiving  8,966  votes,  while  Joel  Doolittle  of 
Middlelniry,  a  graduate  of  Yale  and  the  first  tutor  in 
Middlcbury  College,  received  v3,157  votes.  The  scatter- 
ing ballots  numbered  2,037.  Congressmen  Mallary, 
Buck  and  Wales  were  reelected.  Mr.  Meech  of  Shel- 
burne  having  declined  another  term,  there  was  no  choice 
at  the  regular  election,  but  on  a  third  trial  Benjamin 
Swift  of  St.  Albans  was  elected  over  his  nearest  rival, 
Heman  Allen  of  Milton,  by  a  majority  of  120  votes. 
Mr.  Swift  was  born  in  Amenia,  N.  Y.,  April  9,  1780. 
He  studied  in  the  Litchfield,  Conn.,  law  school  and  re- 
moved to  Bennington,  where  he  began  the  practice  of 
law.  Later,  he  removed  to  Manchester,  and  in  1809  to 
St.  Albans,  where,  for  seventeen  years  he  was  a  partner 
of  Hon.  John  Smith.  He  represented  St.  Albans  in 
the  Legislature  in  1813  and  again  in  1825  and  1826. 
He  served  two  terms  in  Congress,  was  United  States 
Senator  from  1833  to  1839,  and  was  a  Whig  Presidential 
Elector  in  1844.  He  was  a  man  of  large  stature  and 
was  strong  physically,  mentally  and  morally.  He  died 
in  St.  Albans,  November  11,  1847. 


214  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

A  third  election  was  required  in  the  First  District  to 
elect  a  successor  to  William  C.  Bradley,  when  Jonathan 
Hunt  of  Brattleboro  was  chosen  over  O.  C.  Merrill. 
He  was  born  in  Vernon,  August  12,  1780,  being  the  son 
of  Lieut.  Gov.  Jonathan  Hunt.  He  was  graduated 
from  Dartmouth  College  in  1807,  studied  law,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar.  He  was  elected  the  first  president 
of  the  Brattleboro  Bank  in  1821  and  held  that  position 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  represented  Brat- 
tleboro in  the  Legislature  in  1816-17  and  in  1824.  He 
served  in  Congress  until  his  death  in  Washington,  May 
14,  1832.  Two  sons  became  men  of  international  repu- 
tation, William  Morris  Hunt,  the  artist,  and  Richard  M. 
Hunt,  the  architect. 

D.  Azro  A.  Buck  of  Chelsea  was  elected  Speaker  of 
the  Vermont  House  of  Representatives  in  1826,  but  re- 
signed before  the  end  of  the  session  and  Robert  B.  Bates 
of  Middlebury  was  chosen  his  successor.  In  his  in- 
augural address,  Governor  Butler  opposed  amending  the 
State  Constitution.  He  urged  that  the  law  providing 
imprisonment  for  debt  be  amended,  so  that  commitments 
would  be  fewer.  He  opposed  the  raising  of  money  by 
lotteries,  and  alluded  to  the  offer  made  by  a  New  York 
firm  the  previous  seasons  to  pay  at  the  rate  of  four 
thousand  dollars  a  year  for  ten  years  for  the  exclusive 
privilege  of  selling  lottery  tickets  in  the  State. 

The  most  exciting  event  of  the  session  was  the  election 
of  a  United  States  Senator,  and  the  campaign  was  one 
of  the  most  hotly  contested  in  the  history  of  Vermont 
politics.  Governor  Van  Ness  was  the  choice  of  the 
Council,  but  the  vote  of  the  Assembly  was  sufficiently 


Tlli^   FA'OLrTTDX    OF   A    STATK         IMT) 

large  to  reelect  Senator  Seymour  on  joint  ballot  by  a 
majority  of  seven,  in  a  total  vote  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty-live.  \'an  Ness  was  charged  with  official  mis- 
conduct, moral  profligacy  and  wavering  support  of  the 
national  administration.  His  private  life  and  pul)lic 
conduct  appear  to  have  been  beyond  reproach,  but  it  is 
difficult  at  this  late  date  to  estimate  his  loyalty  to  Presi- 
dent Adams.  It  was  charged  by  his  friends  that  Wil- 
liam Blade  of  Vermont,  then  a  clerk  in  the  office  of  the 
vState  Department  at  Washington,  came  back  to  this 
State,  ostensibly  on  public  business,  and  took  occasion 
to  urge  the  reelection  of  Seymour.  It  was  further 
asserted  that  John  Bailey,  a  Massachusetts  Member  of 
Congress,  and  an  intimate  personal  friend  of  President 
Adams,  urged  the  importance  of  reelecting  Senator  Sey- 
mour, charging  Governor  Van  Ness  with  hostility  to  the 
administration.  These  charges  were  denied,  and  a  w^ar- 
f are  of  letters  follow^ed ;  the  newspapers  for  weeks  there- 
after being  filled  with  long  political  statements.  Mr. 
Van  Ness  published  a  letter  on  March  15,  1827,  occupy- 
ing more  than  four  columns  of  the  Burlington  Sentinel. 
In  it  he  declared  that  he  had  supported  Adams  for  elec- 
tion in  1824,  and  that  he  had  said  if  elected  Senator  he 
would  resign  the  office  if  he  found  that  he  could  not 
support  the  President.  In  his  opinion  the  administra- 
tion had  interfered  in  the  Senatorial  election  in  an 
''unjust  and  unwarrantable"  manner.  He  therefore 
transferred  his  political  allegiance,  like  W.  C.  Bradley, 
to  General  Jackson,  saying:  "He  has  not,  like  Mr. 
Adams,  been  brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  nor 


216  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

lived  the  greater  part  of  his  time  at  the  courts  of  Kings 
and  Princes." 

Senator  Seymour  was  a  man  of  respectable  but  not 
extraordinary  talents.  Governor  Van  Ness,  on  the  con- 
trary, was  a  brilliant  and  polished  man  of  the  world. 
It  may  be  that  these  very  qualities  prejudiced  some  of 
the  legislators  from  the  small  towns  against  him.  Later 
he  received  a  diplomatic  appointment  from  President 
Jackson,  and  thereafter  he  spent  most  of  his  life  outside 
Vermont. 

The  legislation  of  the  session  included  an  act  direct- 
ing the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  to  adopt  a  uniform 
system  of  rules  for  the  admission  to  the  bar  of  attorneys 
at  law.  A  license  fee  of  five  hundred  dollars  was  fixed 
for  vendors  of  lottery  tickets.  Jurisdiction  over  ten 
acres  of  land  at  Vergennes  was  granted  to  the  United 
States  for  an  arsenal.  Acts  of  incorporation  were 
granted  for  the  Bank  of  Vergennes,  the  Swanton  Canal 
Company  (for  a  canal  from  Maquam  Bay  to  Keyes 
Falls,  in  Highgate),  the  St.  Albans  Steamboat  Company, 
the  Champlain  Transportation  Company,  the  Vermont 
Agricultural  Society,  the  Bennington  Iron  Company,  the 
Pittsford  Iron  Manufacturing  Company,  the  Sand  Bar 
Bridge  Company  and  the  Vermont  Salt  Manufacturing 
Company.  A  meeting  had  been  held  at  South  Hero  in 
February,  1826,  attended  by  residents  of  Grand  Isle  and 
Chittenden  counties,  and  resolutions  had  been  adopted 
declaring  that  the  construction  of  a  bridge  on  the  sand 
bar  extending  from  Milton  to  South  TTero,  the  southern 
town  of  Grand  Isle  county,  was  feasible.  The  incorpo- 
rators of  the  Vermont  Salt  Company  were  induced  to 


THE   ]{\OLl'Tl()X   (){<    A   STATE        217 

bore  for  salt  at  Alontpclicr  because  of  conditions  sup- 
posed to  be  similar  to  those  in  western  New  V'ork, 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  where  salt  had  been  found. 
Work  was  begun  in  August,  1827,  and  continued  until 
January,  1830,  the  boring  being  mostly  through  solid 
rock.  A  depth  of  eight  hundred  and  fifty  feet  was 
reached,  but  no  traces  of  salt  were  discovered  and  the 
search  was  abandoned. 

The  proposal  of  Tennessee  to  divide  the  States  into 
districts  for  the  choice  of  Presidential  Electors,  corre- 
sponding to  the  number  of  Senators  and  Representatives 
each  State  had  in  Congress,  was  disapproved.  A  reso- 
lution instructing  the  Vermont  delegation  in  Congress 
to  favor  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia was  reported  adversely  and  rejected.  The  report 
of  the  State  Treasurer  for  the  year  ending  September 
30,  1826,  showed  the  expenses  of  government  to  have 
been  $52,039.46.  The  convicts  at  the  State  Prison 
wove  forty-nine  thousand  yards  of  cloth  during  the 
year. 

The  snowfall  of  the  first  two  weeks  of  January, 
1827,  is  said  to  have  been  the  heaviest  known  since  the 
settlement  of  the  country.  Little  snow  had  fallen  dur 
ing  December,  but  during  the  first  two  or  three  days  of 
January,  an  average  fall  of  thirty  inches  was  recorded. 
During  the  remainder  of  the  week,  four  or  five  inches 
more  fell  and  in  the  second  week  of  January  there  was 
a  fall  of  fourteen  inches,  making  a  total  of  more  than 
four  feet  of  snow  during  a  fortnight. 

Early  in  1827,  Col.  J.  P.  Miller  returned  to  his  home 
in  Randolph  from  Greece,  where  he  had  participated  in 


218  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

the  attempt  to  free  that  ancient  land  from  Turkish  rule. 
He  had  been  a  student  in  the  University  of  Vermont, 
but  left  when  the  College  buildings  were  burned  in  1824. 
With  letters  from  Governor  Van  Ness  he  applied  to 
Edward  Everett  and  other  officials  of  the  Greek  Associa- 
tion, who  aided  him  in  securing  passage  to  Europe.  He 
entered  the  Greek  service  and  in  time  became  a  Colonel 
and  a  staff  officer  under  Gen.  George  Jarvis.  Owing  to 
his  bravery  he  was  known  among  the  Greeks  as  the 
American  dare  devil.  He  participated  in  the  twelve- 
months' siege  of  Messalonghi  and  in  various  engage- 
ments. After  his  return  to  America  he  studied  law  and 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Mont- 
pelier.  He  was  active  in  his  opposition  to  slavery  and 
was  one  of  the  two  Vermont  delegates  to  the  World's 
Anti-Slavery  Convention  held  in  London  in  1840.  He 
died  February  17,  1847. 

At  the  opening  of  Congress  in  December,  1826,  the 
Vermont  Senators  were  given  new  committee  assign- 
ments, Chase  going  to  Finance  and  Seymour  to  Judici- 
ary. The  assignments  of  Vermont  members  of  the 
House  remained  practically  the  same  as  at  the  previous 
session.  The  tariff  act  of  1824  had  not  proved  to  be 
altogether  satisfactory  to  the  friends  of  the  so-called 
''American  System."  Heavy  importations  of  woolen 
goods  were  made  possible  by  undervaluations,  and  manu- 
facturers of  woolens  in  New  England  and  elsewhere 
petitioned  Congress  for  relief.  On  January  10,  1827, 
Mr.  Mallary  of  Vermont,  for  the  Committee  on  Manu- 
factures, reported  a  bill,  increasing  duties  on  wool  and 


TllK  ICX'ULUTIUX   OF  A   STATE        LM9 

woolens    and    changing    the    basis    of    custom    house 
valuations. 

One  week  later,  on  January  17,  he  supported  the 
measure  in  an  able  and  convincing  speech.  As  reported 
in  N lies'  Register  it  occupied  more  than  five  pages. 
After  referring  to  memorials  received  from  agricultural 
as  well  as  industrial  interests,  he  estimated  the  capital 
invested  in  woolen  manufactures  at  a  sum  not  less  than 
forty  million  dollars,  and  in  Massachusetts  alone  the  in- 
vestment was  at  least  eight  million  dollars.  The  num- 
ber of  sheep  in  the  United  States  was  said  to  be  between 
fifteen  million  and  sixteen  million  head.  He  believed 
that  these  flocks  had  been  increased  by  ten  million  head 
as  a  result  of  the  establishment  of  manufacturing  institu- 
tions. He  called  attention  to  the  heavy  purchases  made 
by  the  industrial  districts  of  New  England  from  other 
parts  of  the  country,  including  an  annual  consumption 
of  213,000  barrels  of  Virginia  flour,  valued  at  more  than 
$1,000,000.  Calling  attention  to  the  increase  in  imports, 
he  said:  "The  great  capital  now  devoted  to  the  woolen 
manufacture  is  in  jeopardy.  The  great  agricultural 
interest,  depending  on  the  other,  claims  also  the  inter- 
position of  our  common  government.  It  stands  on  the 
brink  of  ruin.  The  manufacturer  is  pressed  by  the 
overwhelming  power  of  foreign  rivalry  and  gives  way. 
The  agricultural  interest  is  doomed  to  a  common  fate." 
He  then  pointed  out  how  American  manufactures  were 
being  driven  out  of  the  home  markets  by  the  great  in- 
crease of  imports  from  Great  Britain.  The  speech  was 
a  strong  and  logical  presentation  of  the  doctrine  of  pro- 
tection.    A  motion  by  Mr.  Buchanan  of  Pennsylvania 


220  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

to  recommit  the  bill  failed  by  a  vote  of  101  to  104,  and 
it  was  ordered  to  a  third  reading  by  a  vote  of  108  to  99. 
In  the  Senate,  the  vote  on  the  tariff  bill  was  a  tie  and 
it  was  tabled  by  the  casting  vote  of  V^ice  President  John 
C.  Calhoun. 

A  convention  of  manufacturers  and  wool  growers,  in- 
terested in  a  protective  tariff  policy,  was  held  at  Rut- 
land on  June  27,  1827.  Judge  Elijah  Paine  of  Williams- 
town  presided.  Eight  counties  were  represented  by 
approximately  one  hundred  delegates.  Addresses  were 
made  by  Congressman  R.  C.  Mallary  and  former  Consul 
William  Jarvis  of  Weathers  field.  William  Jarvis,  Rol- 
lin  C.  Mallary,  Elijah  Paine,  William  Hull  and  Heman 
Allen  were  elected  delegates  to  a  national  convention, 
called  at  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  to  consider  the  need  of  more 
adequate  tariff  protection.  In  commenting  on  the  Ver- 
mont meeting,  Miles'  Register  said :  "The  people  of  this 
mountain  State  are  firm  supporters  of  domestic  manu- 
factures and  have  profited  much  by  their  industry 
applied  to  improve  their  natural  advantages.  They 
raise  very  many  sheep,  manufacture  much  cloth,  iron, 
copperas,  etc." 

The  national  convention  assembled  in  the  Capitol  at 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  July  30,  1827.  The  States  represented 
included  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  Massachusetts, 
Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Maryland,  Virginia,  Kentucky 
and  Ohio.  Among  the  delegates  were  Ezekiel  Webster 
of  New  Hampshire,  Abbott  Lawrence  of  Massachusetts, 
Matthew  Carey  of  Pennsylvania  and  Thomas  Ewing  of 
Ohio.     Mr.  Mallary  was  chairman  of  a  committee  on 


THE  E\OIvLTI()X   OK  A  STATE        221 

Commercial  Intercourse  l^elween  ihe  States.  Judge 
Paine  served  on  a  committee  appointed  to  prepare  an 
address  to  the  people  and  Mr.  Allen  was  a  member  of 
a  committee  to  consider  the  subjects  of  iron  and  glass. 
Mr.  Mallary  and  Mr.  Jarvis  were  among  the  leaders  of 
this  convention.  The  latter  was  originally  appointed  a 
member  of  a  committee  to  petition  Congress  but  with- 
drew in  favor  of  Matthew  Carey.  Both  men  had  pre- 
pared petitions,  and  parts  of  each  document  were  used. 
Mr.  Jarvis  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Henry  Clay  and 
Abbott  Lawrence  in  his  work  in  behalf  of  a  protective 
tarifif,  and  this  Massachusetts  captain  of  industry  after- 
ward said  that  Mr.  Jarvis  converted  him  to  the  cause 
of  American  manufactures.  Resolutions  in  favor  of  a 
greater  measure  of  protection  were  adopted  and  a 
memorial  was  sent  to  Congress. 

Mr.  Allen,  the  American  Minister  to  Chili,  took 
formal  leave  of  the  Chilian  authorities  on  July  31,  1827. 
In  his  address  to  the  Vice  President  he  said  his  mission 
had  been  terminated  at  his  ow^n  request,  and  he  expressed 
gratification  that  some  progress  had  been  made  toward 
a  settlement  of  claims.  He  arrived  in  New  York  on 
January  27,  1828,  after  a  voyage  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  days  from  Chili. 

During  the  summer  of  1827,  United  States  engineers 
made  canal  surveys  in  Vermont.  Accompanied  by  the 
Governor,  they  visited  the  height  of  land  at  Williams- 
town.  Among  the  possible  routes  considered  were  one 
by  way  of  North  field  and  the  White  River,  and  one  by 
way  of  the  Wells  River  valley  to  the  Connecticut  River; 


222  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

also  one  from  Lake  Memphremagog  by  way  of  the 
Lamoille  River  valley  to  Lake  Champlain. 

Governor  Butler  had  little  opposition  in  the  election 
of  1827,  receiving  LS,699  votes,  1,951  being  cast  for 
Joel  Doolittle  of  Middlebury.  Robert  B.  Bates  of  Mid- 
dlebury  was  reelected  Speaker.  In  his  inaugural  ad- 
dress Governor  Butler  proposed  a  board  of  examination 
for  teachers  in  public  schools,  opposed  the  operation  of 
lotteries,  and  expressed  regret  that  Congress  had  failed 
to  grant  needed  protection  to  American  industries.  He 
objected  strongly  to  the  proposal  made  to  limit  a  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  to  one  term  of  office. 

The  Legislature  enacted  a  school  law,  dividing  the 
towns  into  districts.  Committees  of  three,  five  or  seven 
persons  were  authorized  to  have  general  charge  and 
superintendence  of  schools,  examine  candidates  for 
teaching  positions,  visit  schools  and  designate  text  books, 
but  provision  was  made  that  no  books  should  be  pur- 
chased or  used  "which  are  calculated  to  favor  any  par- 
ticular religious  sect  or  tenet."  A  prudential  committee 
of  one  person  or  three  persons  was  designated  to  hire 
teachers  and  have  charge  of  school  buildings.  Districts 
were  authorized  to  raise  money  for  building  or  repairing 
school  houses  and  supporting  schools.  Selectmen  were 
directed  to  assess  a  tax  of  three  cents  on  the  dollar  of 
the  grand  list  to  be  apportioned  among  the  several  dis- 
tricts according  to  attendance.  The  Legislature  de- 
clined to  act  on  resolutions  from  Maine  and  Connecticut 
relative  to  the  use  of  United  States  revenue  for  internal 
improvements,  declaring  it  inexpedient  at  that  time  to 
express  an  opinion  on  the  subject.     Similar  action  was 


'riij-:  i-:\()M"riox  oi^  a  state      22:^ 

taken  in  regard  to  resolutions  from  Georgia  and  Ohio 
dealing  with  the  election  of  President  by  the  House  of 
Representatives.  X'ermont  Senators  and  Representa- 
tives in  Congress  were  requested  to  use  their  intiuence 
to  secure  the  passage  of  laws  to  aid  the  work  of  the 
American  Colonization  Society  in  colonizing  the  west 
coast  of  Africa  with  free  people  of  color.  Senators 
were  instructed  and  Representatives  requested  to  exert 
their  best  endeavors  to  procure  the  passage  of  a  law 
''which  shall  afford  such  protection  to  the  American 
wool  grower  and  manufacturer  as  shall  enable  them  to 
compete  with  the  foreign  wool  grower  and  manufacturer 
in  our  ow^n  markets." 

By  a  vote  of  165  to  35  the  General  Assembly  adopted 
the  following  resolution:  "Resolved,  that  in  the  opinion 
of  this  House  the  policy  adopted  by  the  present  admin- 
istration of  the  General  Government  is  well  calculated 
to  promote  the  permanent  prosperity  of  the  Nation,  and 
is  approved  by  the  people  of  Vermont;  and  that  the 
reelection  of  John  Quincy  Adams  to  the  Presidency  of. 
the  United  States  is  an  object  highly  desirable."  The 
Governor  and  Council  concurred  in  the  adoption  of  the 
foregoing  resolution.  Four  members  of  the  Council 
dissented  and  their  objections  were  made  a  part  of  the 
records  of  that  body. 

About  the  time  of  the  adjournment  of  the  Legislature, 
Governor  Butler  announced  that  he  would  not  be  a  can- 
didate for  reelection,  intending  to  devote  the  remainder 
of  his  life  to  his  pastoral  duties. 

At  the  opening  of  Congress  in  December,  1827,  Sena- 
tor Seymour  was  assigned  to  the  Committee  on  Naval 


224  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Affairs  and  to  the  second  place  on  Judiciary.  In  the 
House,  places  were  assigned  as  follows:  Mallary, 
Manufactures  (Chairman);  Hunt,  Revolutionary 
Claims;  Buck,  Public  Expenditures;  Wales,  Sale  of 
Washington  City  Lots;  Swift,  Expenditures  on  Public 
Buildings  and  Apportionment  of  Representatives  under 
the  Census.  Although  Mr.  Mallary  was  retained  as 
chairman  of  the  important  Committee  on  Manufactures, 
he  was  not  entirely  in  sympathy  with  a  majority  of  the 
committee.  His  retention  under  such  circumstances 
was  a  high  compliment  to  his  usefulness  and  ability. 
The  tariff  bill  as  reported  increased  the  duties  on  wool 
and  hemp,  but  did  not  give  the  protection  on  woolen 
goods  that  Mr.  Mallary  thought  was  needed,  but  amend- 
ments which  he  proposed  to  remedy  this  defect  were  re- 
jected. In  a  speech  of  two  hours  he  explained  the  bill 
and  the  diff'erences  between  himself  and  other  members 
of  the  committee.  In  supporting  his  amendments  he 
declared  that  "an  immense  capital  is  unemployed  and  a 
great  mass  of  machinery  idle,  which  has  been  devoted 
to  manufactures."  He  asserted  that  efforts  were  being 
made  to  inundate  our  markets  with  foreign  fabrics,  and 
that  European  manufacturers  were  combining  to  dis- 
courage industry  in  this  country.  Some  of  Mr.  Mal- 
lary's  amendments  were  adopted  with  modifications  and 
the  bill  was  finally  passed,  April  22,  by  a  vote  of  105 
to  94. 

This  act  was  bitterly  opposed  by  the  South  and  was 
called  by  its  opponents  the  "Tariff  of  Abominations." 
South  Carolina's  nullification  episode  grew  out  of  opposi- 
tion to  this  act. 


TNI-:  i-A'Df.rTrox  (W  .\  statk.      22') 

A  public  dinner  was  given  to  Air,  Mallary  at  Newark, 
N.  J.,  on  May  30,  1828.  Governor  Williamson  and 
other  distinguished  guests  were  present  and  about  one 
hundred  persons  were  in  attendance.  Mr.  Mallary  was 
toasted  and  in  turn  oft'ered  a  toast  to  Newark.  Nilcs' 
Register  said  of  the  dinner:  *'Mr.  Mallary  well  de- 
served a  compliment  like  this,  and  it  was  happily  given 
at  Newark.  The  devotion  of  Mr.  Mallary  to  the  Ameri- 
can System,  the  honest  zeal  wdth  which  he  advocated  the 
protection  of  American  industry,  his  rigid  adherence  to 
principle,  and  earnestness  for  the  success  of  measures, 
while  claiming  the  warm  ap]irobation  of  the  friends  of 
the  system,  have  secured  for  him  an  uncommon  degree 
of  respect  from  its  opponents."  A  little  later  Mr.  Mal- 
lary was  entertained  at  a  limcheon  at  Troy,  N.  Y., 
attended  by  the  Mayor  and  about  one  hundred  guests. 
Mr.  Mallary  was  toasted,  and,  in  turn,  ofifered  a  toast  to 
the  prosperity  of  Troy  and  the  success  of  the  American 
System. 

According  to  reports  of  listers  made  early  in  the  year 
1828,  there  were  31,936  taxable  polls  in  the  State  and 
7,072  militia  polls  exempt  from  taxation.  There  w^ere 
35,986  homes,  also  147  attorneys  and  206  physicians. 
The  live  stock  reports  included  130,871  cows  and  other 
cattle  three  years  old;  50,835  cattle  two  years  old; 
41,755  oxen;  51,394  horses  and  mules  one  year  old  and 
over;  and  702,469  sheep.  On  April  1,  1828,  Vermont 
banks  had  in  circulation  $949,844,  or  less  by  about 
$240,000  than  the  amount  fixed  by  law.  Most  of  these 
institutions  had  funds  on  deposit  in  Boston  and  Troy 
banks  ,  only  one  depositing  in  a  New  York  bank. 


226  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

On  the  anniversary  of  Bennington  Battle  Day  in  Ben- 
nington, only  two  veterans  of  that  memorable  contest 
were  present,  the  venerable  Ex-Gov.  Jonas  Galusha,  who 
presided,  and  Gen.  David  Robinson. 

Samuel  C.  Crafts  of  Craftsbury  was  elected  Governor 
in  1828,  receiving  16,285  votes.  The  opposition  was 
slight,  Joel  Doolittle  of  Middlebury  receiving  916  votes. 
Among  the  members  of  the  Council  elected  was  Ira  H. 
Allen  of  Irasburg,  son  of  Gen.  Ira  Allen.  Robert  B. 
Bates  of  Middlebury  was  elected  for  a  third  term  as 
Speaker.  In  his  inaugural  address  Governor  Crafts 
protested  against  the  bitterness  of  political  strife.  He 
did  not  make  many  recommendations  regarding  State 
policies,  but  suggested  that  there  were  inequalities  in  the 
school  law,  which  should  be  remedied.  The  acts  of  this 
session  of  the  Legislature  included  a  modification  of  the 
law  relating  to  the  judiciary,  providing  that  the  Supreme 
Court  should  consist  of  a  Chief  Justice  and  four  Assist- 
ant Justices;  the  incorporation  of  the  village  of  Mont- 
pelier;  and  the  cession  to  the  United  States  of  eighteen 
acres  of  land  at  Vergennes  for  an  arsenal.  Members 
of  the  Vermont  Congressional  delegation  were  asked  to 
use  their  influence  in  securing  the  passage  of  a  pension 
act  for  the  benefit  of  Revolutionary  officers  and  soldiers. 

Mr.  Mallary  was  reelected  to  Congress  without 
opposition.  Benjamin  Swift  was  opposed  by  Ezra 
Meech,  the  Jackson  candidate,  but  won  over  his  opponent 
by  a  vote  of  nearly  two  to  one.  Jonathan  Hunt  was 
reelected.  There  were  four  candidates  in  the  district 
re|)resented  by  Mr.  Wales  and  no  candidate  received  a 
majority.      In   the   district   represented   by   Mr.    Buck. 


THE  EX'OLUTIOX   OF  A   STATE        227 

there  was  no  choice,  the  vote  being  Buck,  1,779;  Cahoon 
(Anti-Masonic),  1,427;  Ctishman  (Jackson),  1,303; 
Bell,  564.  Messrs.  Buck  and  Bell  were  Adams  candi- 
dates. This  was  the  first  election  in  which  the  Anti- 
Masonic  party  figured.  In  the  spring  of  1826  one  Wil- 
liam Morgan  of  Batavia,  X.  Y.,  who  had  written  a  book 
purporting  to  reveal  the  secrets  of  Free  Masonry, 
was  seized  and  spirited  away,  and  his  fate  remained 
a  mystery.  It  was  charged  that  he  had  been  murdered. 
Great  excitement  followed.  Thurlow  Weed  came  into 
A'ermont  twice  to  summon  witnesses  in  connection  with 
the  Morgan  case.  In  the  spring  elections  in  western 
New  York  the  antagonism  to  the  Masonic  order  began 
to  take  form.  This  agitation  spread  to  New  England, 
and  Vermont  seems  to  have  been  a  fertile  field  for  the 
cultivation  of  a  spirit  of  opposition  to  secret  societies. 
This  agitation  was  particularly  active  in  northeastern 
X^ermont,  where  a  Danville  editor  became  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  new  movement.  With  the  exception  of 
the  Congressional  district  mentioned,  the  Anti-Masonic 
sentiment  had  not  grown  to  proportions  in  Vermont 
sufficient  to  afifect  the  political  campaign  of  1828.  The 
sentiment  in  the  State  was  strongly  in  favor  of  a  second 
term  for  President  Adams,  but  the  formation  of  a  party 
following  the  leadership  of  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson,  to  be 
known  a  little  later  as  the  Democratic  party,  was  under 
way.  The  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  New  Orleans, 
January  8,  1828,  was  celebrated  by  a  dinner  at  Burling- 
ton. Ex-Governor  Van  Ness  was  president  of  the  day, 
and  the  vice  president  was  Ex-Gov.  Martin  Chittenden, 
formerly  an  extreme  Federalist.     The  opinion  that  the 


228  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Whig  party  was  the  residuary  poHtical  legatee  of  the 
FederaHst  party  is  an  error,  at  least  so  far  as  Vermont 
is  concerned.  The  Jackson  or  Democratic  party  was 
composed  in  about  equal  numbers  of  recruits  from  the 
Jeffersonian  Republicans  and  the  Federalists. 

In  June,  1828,  the  Vermont  newspapers  supporting 
the  Adams  administration  were:  The  Bellozvs  Falls 
Intelligencer,  Brattlehoro  Messenger,  Burlington  Free 
Press,  Castleton  Statesman,  Chester  Freedom's  Banner, 
Middlebury  American,  Montpelier  Watchman,  Poidtney 
Spectator,  Royalton  Advocate,  Rutland  Herald,  St. 
Albans  Repository,  Vergennes  Aurora,  Windsor  Repub- 
lican, Windsor  Journal  and  Woodstock  Observer.  The 
Jackson  newspapers  were:  The  Burlington  Sentinel, 
Middlebury  Standard  and  Montpelier  Patriot.  The 
Danville  North  Star  was  an  Anti-Masonic  sheet  and  the 
Bennington  Gazette  was  non-committal. 

Vermont's  Presidential  Electors  supported  John 
Quincy  Adams  for  President  and  Richard  Rush  for 
Vice  President.  The  Electors  were  Jonas  Galusha  of 
Shaftsbury,  Asa  Aldis  of  St.  Albans,  Ezra  Butler  of 
Waterbury,  Josiah  Dana  of  Chelsea,  John  Phelps 
of  Guilford,  William  Jarvis  of  Weathersfield,  and 
Apollos  Austin  of  Orwell. 

In  1827  the  following  Council  of  Censors  was 
elected:  Asa  Aikens  of  Windsor,  William  A.  Griswold 
of  Danville,  Daniel  Kellogg  of  Rockingham,  John  W. 
Dana  of  Cabot,  Jedediah  H.  Plarris  of  Strafford, 
Obadiah  H.  Noble,  Jr.,  of  Tinmoulh,  William  Gates  of 
Lunenburg,  William  Howe  of  Derby,  Bates  Turner 
of  St.  Albans,  Samuel  S.  Phelps  of  Middlebury,  Leonard 


THE   EVOLUTION   OF   A   STATIC        229 

Sargent  of  Alanchester,  Joel  Allen  of  North  1  lert^  and 
Ezekiel  P.  Walton  of  Montpelier.  The  seventh  Coun- 
cil of  Censors  met  at  Montpelier,  June  6-8,  1827,  and 
October  15-26;  and  again,  at  Burlington,  November 
26-30,  1827.  Three  amendments  were  proposed,  and  a 
Constitutional  Convention  was  called.  For  the  fourth 
time  a  State  Senate  was  proposed,  this  time  of  twenty- 
eight  members.  It  was  suggested  that  the  privilege  of 
citizenship  should  be  denied  to  foreigners  until  they  be- 
came naturalized  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  it 
was  proposed  to  give  the  Governor  a  qualified  veto 
power.  The  Convention  met  at  Montpelier,  June  26, 
1828.  The  first  and  second  proposals  of  amendment 
were  rejected  by  a  vote  of  47  to  182,  and  the  third  was 
adopted  by  a  vote  of  134  to  92.  Adjournment  was  taken 
on  June  28. 

Soon  after  the  Jackson  administration  came  into 
power  the  policy  that  "to  the  victors  belong  the  spoils" 
was  put  into  force  with  vigor.  One  of  the  early  victims 
of  the  spoils  system  was  a  Vermonter,  William  Slade, 
who  had  held  a  clerkship  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary 
of  State  since  the  Monroe  administration.  Niles' 
Register  devoted  several  pages  to  the  correspondence 
between  Secretary  of  State  Martin  Van  Buren  and  Mr. 
Slade  regarding  the  removal  of  the  latter  from  office. 
Most  of  the  letter  writing  was  done  by  Mr.  Slade,  who 
attacked  forcefully  the  policy  of  political  decapitation 
inaugurated  by  the  President  and  his  Cabinet. 

It  was  not  until  November,  1829,  in  the  eighth  election 
held,  that  the  fifth  district  of  Vermont  succeeded  in 
choosing  a  Congressman.     In  several  elections  Samuel 


230  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Prentiss  of  Montpelier  was  a  candidate.  William 
Cahoon,  a  member  of  the  new  Anti-Masonic  party,  was 
finally  elected  over  James  Bell  by  1,064  majority.  Mr. 
Cahoon  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  L,  January  12,  1774, 
and  came  to  Lyndon  at  an  early  age.  He  represented 
his  town  in  the  Legislature  in  1802,  1805,  1808-09,  1811- 
12  and  1825-26.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Constitu- 
tional Conventions  of  1814  and  1828,  a  Presidential 
Elector  in  1808,  Judge  of  Caledonia  County  Court  from 
1811  to  1819,  a  member  of  the  Executive  Council  from 
1815  to  1820  and  Lieutenant  Governor  from  1820 
to  1822.  He  served  two  terms  in  Congress,  and  died 
May  30,  1833.  The  other  vacancy  in  the  Vermont  Con- 
gressional delegation  was  filled  by  the  election  of  Horace 
Everett  of  Windsor.  He  was  born  in  Foxboro,  Mass., 
July  17,  1779,  and  graduated  from  Brown  University 
in  1797.  He  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
opened  an  office  in  Windsor.  He  was  State's  Attorney 
for  Windsor  county  from  1813  to  1817.  He  represented 
Windsor  in  the  Legislature  in  1819-20,  1822-24,  and  in 
1843.  He  was  also  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention of  1828.  He  served  seven  consecutive  terms  in 
Congress  and  died  January  30,  1851. 

During  the  year  1829,  Ex-Governor  Van  Ness  was 
appointed  by  President  Jackson  United  States  Minister 
to  Spain,  and  on  November  10  arrived  at  Cadiz  after  a 
voyage  of  twenty  days  from  New  York. 

Before  the  opening  of  the  Champlain  Canal  it  is  said 
that  about  forty  vessels  were  employed  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  most  of  the  commerce  being  with  Canada.  In 
1829,  approximately  two  hundred  and  forty  were  in  use, 


THE   EX'OLUTIOX   OF   A   STATE        2:n 

including  steamboats,  and  trade  had  been  almost  entirely 
divertcd  from  ■Montreal  to  Xew  York.  On  October  5. 
1829,  a  steamboat  called  the  Vermont  ascended  the  Con- 
necticut River  as  far  as  Windsor,  where  its  arrival  was 
celebrated  by  the  ringing  of  bells,  an  artillery  salute  and 
a  public  dinner  to  Captain  Blanchard. 

Governor  Crafts  was  reelected  in  1829,  receiving 
14,325  votes.  Heman  Allen  received  7,376  votes  as  an 
Anti-Masonic  candidate,  although  he  had  declined  to 
identify  himself  with  that  party.  Joel  Doolittle,  the 
Jackson  candidate,  received  3,973  votes  and  50  scatter- 
ing ballots  were  cast.  D.  Azro  A.  Buck  of  Chelsea  was 
elected  Speaker.  In  his  inaugural  address  Governor 
Crafts  called  attention  to  the  evil  of  intemperance  and 
recommended  that  the  license  laws  be  made  more 
stringent.  Attention  was  called  to  canal  surveys  made 
during  the  year.  The  Legislature  asked  the  Vermont 
delegation  in  Congress  to  use  its  influence  to  secure  the 
passage  of  an  act  authorizing  the  construction  of  fortifi- 
cations on  the  north  point  of  Isle  La  Motte  and  on  "the 
great  shoals  between  said  point  and  Point  au  Per." 
The  legislators  did  not  agree  with  Missouri  that  the  elec- 
tion of  President  by  direct  vote  of  the  people  was  a 
method  more  desirable  than  the  choice  by  Electors. 
There  was  emphatic  dissent  from  the  views  expressed 
by  the  States  of  Georgia,  South  Carolina  and  Missouri 
that  the  existing  tariff  laws  were  inexpedient  and  uncon- 
stitutional. The  report  adopted  declared  that  "Your 
committee  have  yet  to  learn,  and  this  by  fair  experi- 
ment, that  the  tariff  laws  now  in  force,  and  so  zealously 
opposed  by  the  anti-tariff  States,  will  prove  injurious  to 


232  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

our  Southern  brethren.  We  do  confidently  anticipate  a 
different  result.  It  is  believed  that  the  alarming  appre- 
hensions entertained  by  them  are  in  a  great  degree 
imaginary,  and  will  vanish  in  the  progress  of  a  reason- 
able practical  trial."  The  Legislature  also  refused  to 
concur  in  resolutions  denying  to  Congress  the  constitu- 
tional right  to  regulate  the  tariff  and  make  appropria- 
tions for  internal  improvements. 

The  Legislature  abolished  all  military  training,  but 
provided  for  a  yearly  inspection  of  arms.  At  the  open- 
ing of  Congress  in  December,  1829,  Senator  Seymour 
was  made  a  member  of  the  Committees  on  Manufactures, 
Agriculture  and  Post-Offices  and  Post-Roads.  Senator 
Chase  was  assigned  to  Claims  and  Pensions.  Vermont 
Congressmen  were  given  the  following  assignments: 
Mallary,  Chairman  of  Manufactures;  Hunt,  Public 
Lands;  Swift,  Public  Buildings;  Cahoon,  Militia; 
Everett,  Census.  On  December  17,  1829,  Mr.  Hunt  of 
Vermont  introduced  a  resolution,  directing  the  Commit- 
tee on  Public  Lands  to  inquire  into  the  expediency  of 
appropriating  the  net  annual  proceeds  from  the  sales  of 
public  lands  among  the  several  States  for  purposes  of 
education  and  internal  improvement  in  proportion  to 
their  representation  in  the  House.  It  was  amended  by 
including  the  Territories  in  its  provisions.  After  much 
discussion  extending  over  a  period  of  several  days,  the 
resolution  was  adopted,  after  the  provision  relating  to 
internal  improvements  had  been  stricken  out,  the  amend- 
ment being  agreed  to  by  the  slender  majority  of  two 
votes. 


'1^1  IE  I£\'OLUTION   OF  A   STATE        2:i:j 

That  portion  of  President  Jackson's  annual  message 
relating-  to  domestic  manufactures,  in  which  he  recom- 
mended some  tariff  changes,  having  been  referred  to  the 
committee  of  which  Mr.  Mallary  was  chairman,  the 
\'ermont  Congressman,  on  the  last  day  of  the  year 
(1829)  reported  that  the  committee  considered  any 
change  in  the  tariff  law  inexpedient  at  that  time. 
Earlier  in  the  year,  in  a  speech  in  the  House,  he  had 
insisted  "that  the  tariff  policy  was  the  settled  policy  of 
this  country,  and  that  no  administration  could  stand  who 
(which)  should  dare  to  touch  it." 

Mr.  Mallary  also  introduced  a  bill  to  prevent  evasions 
of  the  tariff  laws,  asserting  that  by  means  of  false  in- 
voices a  great  quantity  of  British  goods  had  come  into 
the  United  States  without  the  payment  of  the  duties  fixed 
by  law,  greatly  to  the  detriment  of  American  business. 
He  alluded  to  the  apprehension  entertained  that  the  pro- 
tective policy  would  be  abandoned,  a  fear  which  had 
hindered  industrial  development.  Niles'  Register  said 
that  Mr.  Mallary's  report  on  manufactures  "has  drawn 
down  upon  him  the  anamad versions  of  the  English 
editors."  On  April  15,  1830,  Mr.  Mallary  explained 
his  bill  providing  for  a  more  effective  enforcement  of  the 
revenue  laws  in  a  speech  two  hours  in  length.  Niles' 
Register  said  of  it :  "If  the  facts  stated  do  not  convince 
the  public  of  the  necessity  of  strong  and  prompt  action 
on  this  subject  w^e  know  not  what  sort  of  testimony 
should  be  offered  to  make  them  believe  the  injuries  sus- 
tained. The  speech  exhibits  as  with  a  pencil  of  light 
the  greatest  accumulation  of  abominable  frauds  that  we 


234  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

ever  met  with.  Mr.  Mallary  deserves  the  thanks  of  his 
country  for  this  masterly  exposition." 

Mr.  Cambreleng-  of  New  York,  a  leading  supporter 
of  the  Jackson  administration  in  the  House,  on  April  30, 
introduced  a  bill  from  the  Committee  on  Commerce, 
authorizing  the  President,  under  certain  conditions  to 
inaugurate  a  reciprocal  tariff  policy.  When  he  received 
satisfactory  information  that  any  foreign  government 
had  authorized  the  introduction  of  agricultural  products 
and  manufactures  of  the  United  States,  at  a  rate  not 
to  exceed  30  per  cent  of  the  value  of  such  articles,  then, 
by  proclamation,  he  might  admit  similar  products  and 
manufactures  of  such  nations  on  reciprocal  terms.  Mr. 
Mallary  seems  to  have  been  the  chief  defender  of  the 
protective  tariff  policy,  and  he  opposed  the  Cambreleng 
bill  with  eloquence  and  sarcasm.  He  said:  ''It  is  a 
measure  that  is  intended  to  give  the  power  to  the  Presi- 
dent to  control  the  great  interests  of  this  country.  Let 
this  remain  with  the  representatives  of  the  people.  Let 
Congress  keep  this  power  to  itself.  Hold  it  fast.  No 
such  power  should  be  put  into  the  hands  of  any  one  man 
living.  The  object  manifestly  is  to  have  the  measure 
hang  over  our  protective  policy  in  terrorem  like  a  porten- 
tous cloud." 

Referring  to  Southern  opposition  to  the  tariff  law,  Mr. 
Mallary  said  in  words  that  were  a  scathing  indictment 
of  the  policy  that  threatened  disunion :  "The  gentleman 
tells  us  about  a  tremendous  explosion  if  the  friends  of 
the  tariff  policy  persist.  Sir,  this  means  in  plain  Eng- 
lish, rebellion.  Sir,  are  we  to  be  driven  from  our  path 
of  duty,  from  the  true  interests  of  the  country,  by  threats 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        235 

of  a  tremendous  explosion?  Is  a  minority  on  the  lioor 
of  this  House  to  tell  a  majority,  you  shall  submit  to  our 
will,  or  the  most  dreadful  consequences  will  follow? 
For  one,  I  say,  plump  and  plain,  I  will  not  be  driven  from 
my  course  by  such  language.  How  are  we  to  decide  on 
any  great  question,  whether  it  relates  to  the  established 
policy  of  the  country,  or  to  any  new  measure  presented 
for  deliberation  and  action?  Is  a  majority  to  shrink 
back,  give  way,  surrender,  when  a  minority  demands  a 
right  to  rule?  Submit  to  the  tyranny  of  a  minority,  a 
strange  despot  under  a  government,  when  its  funda- 
mental is  that  a  majority  shall  govern!  This  is  the 
essence  of  aristocracy.  In  plain  truth,  sir,  if  Repre- 
sentatives cannot  come  here  and  exercise  their  own  in- 
dependent opinions,  without  being  awed  and  menaced 
into  submission  by  those  who  may  happen  to  differ,  the 
government  is  not  worth  preserving;  its  republican 
character  is  gone."  These  were  words  that  needed  to 
be  spoken.  Only  a  few  weeks  had  passed  since  the  great 
debate  between  Webster  and  Hayne.  Events  were  mov- 
ing steadily  toward  attempted  dismemberment  of  the 
Union  in  South  Carolina.  Utterances  like  those  of  Mr. 
Mallary,  coming  as  they  did,  from  one  of  the  leaders  of 
the  House,  gave  notice  that  threats  of  disunion  would 
not  frighten  the  friends  of  the  tariff  from  support  of  the 
law  then  on  the  statute  books  of  the  Nation. 

By  a  large  majority  the  Cambreleng  bill  was  laid  on 
the  table,  and  Mr.  Mallary's  bill  for  a  more  effective  col- 
lection of  duties  was  passed  by  a  vote  of  115  to  24.  On 
July  6,  1830,  a  dinner  was  given  to  Mr.  Mallary  at  Rut- 
land, attended  by  about  one  hundred  citizens,  most  of 


236  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

whom  were  residents  of  his  district.  Niles  Register 
gave  almost  three  pages  to  this  event.  In  his  speech 
Mr.  Mallary  said  that  few  Representatives  were  less 
embarrassed  in  their  public  service  than  those  from  Ver- 
mont. In  obedience  to  the  wishes  of  the  people  of  the 
State  they  had  supported  the  navy,  navigation,  fortifica- 
tions and  internal  improvements.  He  reviewed  the  tariff 
measures  of  1816,  1824,  1827  and  the  general  revision 
of  1828,  calling  attention  to  the  dire  predictions  made  by 
opponents  of  the  latest  revision.  He  referred  to  the 
hostility  of  the  South  and  to  South  Carolina's  threat  to 
secede.  He  advocated  internal  improvements  and  con- 
demned the  Jackson  administration  for  its  system  of 
political  rewards  and  punishments,  with  its  idea  of  con- 
quest, the  minority  being  treated  like  prisoners  of  war, 
in  his  opinion. 

Late  in  1829  and  early  in  1830  projects  for  building 
railroads  in  Vermont  began  to  be  considered,  including 
one  from  Boston  to  Brattleboro,  and  another  from 
Boston  to  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  by  way  of  Lowell,  Mass., 
Concord,  N.  H.,  and  Burlington.  The  people  of  Wind- 
sor appointed  a  committee  to  ascertain  the  feasibility  of 
a  railroad  from  that  village  to  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  by  way 
of  Rutland.  A  meeting  was  held  at  Montpelier,  on  Jan- 
uary 15,  1830,  to  consider  a  proposed  railroad  from 
Boston  to  Lake  Champlain.  A  Vermont  Railroad 
Association  was  formed  at  Montpelier  on  February  17, 
1 830,  and  Timothy  Hubbard  was  elected  president.  On 
October  6,  of  the  same  year,  a  railroad  convention  was 
held  at  the  State  House  to  consider  the  proposed  Boston- 
Ogdensburg  route.     Five  delegates  were  present  from 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        237 

lioston,  ten  from  New  Hampshire,  seven  from  Northern 
New  York  and  twenty-six  from  Vermont,  the  towns  in 
the  State  represented  being  Barre,  Berlin,  Bradford, 
Burlington,  Chelsea,  Hartford,  Middlesex,  Montpelier, 
Northfield.  Randolph,  Richmond,  Royalton,  Topsham. 
W'alden  and  Waterbury.  The  meeting  was  called  to 
order  by  D.  Azro  A.  Buck  of  Chelsea,  and  Luther  Brad- 
ish  of  Moira,  N.  Y.,  was  elected  president.  Committees 
were  appointed  to  ask  the  Government  to  make  a  survey, 
to  complete  statistics  concerning  travel  over  the  route, 
and  to  publish  an  address  to  the  people. 

During  the  summer  of  1830  the  State  was  visited  by 
one  of  the  most  severe  freshets  ever  known  in  New 
England.  After  a  week  of  extreme  heat,  a  heavy  rain 
began  on  the  evening  of  Saturday,  July  24.  On  Mon- 
day, July  26,  the  streams  began  to  rise  rapidly  and  con- 
tinued to  rise  until  Tuesday  morning,  when  they  were 
three  or  four  inches  higher  than  *'the  great  freshet  of 
1828,"  to  quote  the  words  of  the  Montpelier  Watchman. 
Most  of  the  dams  on  the  Mad  River,  and  many  houses 
and  barns  along  its  banks  were  destroyed  and  not  a 
bridge  was  left  on  the  stream.  At  Middlesex,  on  the 
Winooski  River,  a  woolen  factory,  a  school  house  and 
several  mills  were  swept  away.  Of  the  sixteen  build- 
ings at  Moretown  only  six  were  left  standing.  Most  of 
the  bridges  in  the  vicinity  of  Waterbury  were  swept 
away.  All  the  bridges  on  the  Dog  River,  at  Berlin, 
went  out.  From  Northfield  came  a  similar  report.  A 
resident  of  Calais  was  drowned  at  Montpelier.  A  young 
man  lost  his  life  while  trying  to  cross  the  Dog  River 
at  Berlin  on  a  raft.     A  Moretown  woman  was  swept 


238  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

from  her  husband's  arms  and  drowned.  The  damage  to 
the  MontpeHer-BurHngton  turnpike  was  estimated  at 
ten  thousand  dollars.  From  Bolton  to  Lake  Champlain 
the  Winooski  valley  was  a  scene  of  desolation.  Inter- 
vale farms,  with  abundant  crops,  some  of  them  ready  for 
harvest,  "suddenly  became  one  vast  and  extended  waste 
of  w^aters,  with  fences,  barns,  mills,  bridges  and  crops 
mingling  in  one  common  mass  of  ruins,"  according  to 
the  report  of  the  Montpelier  Watchman.  At  West 
Randolph  two  houses,  a  grain  mill,  and  two  factories, 
containing  cloth,  wool  and  machinery,  valued  at  seventy 
thousand  dollars,  were  swept  away.  A  factory  and 
mills  were  destroyed  at  Bethel,  and  a  young  man  was 
drowned  at  Royalton. 

The  Burlington  Free  Press  reported  damage  at  that 
village  amounting  to  ten  thousand  dollars.  At  Winooski 
Falls,  bridges,  an  oil  mill,  and  a  woolen  factory  were 
destroyed,  while  at  Essex  a  carding  mill  and  clothing 
works  were  carried  away.  The  Lamoille  and  Missisquoi 
Rivers  were  very  high,  and  at  Milton  a  trip  hammer 
shop  and  a  fulling  mill  were  wrecked.  The  Middlehury 
American  reported  that  most  of  the  bridges  between 
Vergennes  and  Middlebury  were  washed  away  and  in 
places  the  tops  of  fields  of  grain  were  just  visible  above 
the  surface  of  the  expanse  of  water.  At  Lincoln,  a 
woman  and  three  children  were  awakened  to  find  their 
bed  floating  near  the  ceiling  of  the  room.  Above  was  a 
loft  with  a  floor  of  loose  boards.  The  woman  succeeded 
in  removing  some  of  these  boards,  and  with  her  children 
found  safety  in  this  loft,  where  they  remained  until  they 
were  rescued  on  the  following  day.     At  New  Haven 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        239 

West  Mills  the  stream  was  dammed  and  carried  away 
about  twenty  buildings,  leaving  nothing  but  bare  rocks. 
At  New  Haven  East  Mills  a  woolen  factory  and  mills 
were  destroyed.  In  one  house  that  was  surrounded  by 
water  the  father  of  the  family  was  able  to  erect  a  rude 
platform  in  a  nearby  tree  and  removed  his  eight  children 
to  this  refuge,  binding  them  to  the  tree  with  ropes.  All 
the  crops  along  the  Middlebury  River  were  destroyed  and 
li\'es  were  lost.  The  damage  to  private  property  in 
Addison  county  was  estimated  at  a  sum  between  fifty 
and  sixty  thousand  dollars.  Some  mills  and  factories 
were  carried  away  in  Caledonia  county.  A  letter  from 
Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  said:  "There  never  was  so  great  a 
freshet  known  on  this  (Saranac)  river  since  the  memory 
of  man.  There  is  not  a  bridge  left  standing.  The  lake 
(Champlain)  is  full  of  logs,  bridges,  mills  and  pieces  of 
mills."  It  was  reported  that  Lake  Champlain  rose  a 
foot  in  ten  hours.  Making  allowance  for  possible  exag- 
gerations, there  is  no  doubt  that  the  freshet  was  exceed- 
ingly severe  and  the  losses  were  very  great. 

The  census  of  1830  showed  a  population  of  280,652  in 
Vermont,  a  gain  of  44,671  during  the  decade,  or  18.9 
per  cent.  This  was  a  substantial  increase  over  the  pre- 
ceding period,  from  1810  to  1820,  when  the  gain  was 
only  8.3  per  cent.  The  population  by  counties  was  as 
follows : 

Addison    24,940 

Bennington 17,468 

Caledonia   20,967 

Chittenden   21,765 

Essex 3.981 


240  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Franklin  24,525 

Grand  Isle 3,696 

Orange   27,285 

Orleans 13,980 

Rutland • 31,294 

Washington 21,378 

Windham  28,746 

Windsor 40,625 

The  most  populous  town  in  the  State  was  Middle- 
bury,  with  3,468  inhabitants.  Other  towns  with  a 
population  exceeding  2,000  were:  Bennington,  3,419; 
Burlington,  3,226;  Windsor,  3,134;  Woodstock,  3,044: 
Montpelier,  2,985 ;  Rutland,  2,753 ;  Springfield, 
2,749;  Randolph,  2,743:  Danville,  2,631;  Hart- 
land,  2,503;  St.  Albans,  2,395;  Chester,  2,320;  Norwich, 
2,316;  Rockingham,  2,272;  Fairfield,  2,270;  Weathers- 
field,  2,213;  Swanton,  2,158;  Shaftsbury,  2,143;  Brat- 
tleboro,  2,141;  Shoreham,  2,137;  Thetford,  2,113;  Mil- 
ton, 2,100:  Hartford,  2,044;  Highgate,  2,038;  Barre, 
2,012;  Pittsford,  2,005.  There  were  in  the  State  3,420 
aliens,  and  885  free  colored  persons;  also  151  who  were 
deaf  and  dumb,  and  49  who  were  blind.  There  are  few 
industrial  statistics  available  for  this  census  period,  but 
the  total  value  of  manufactures  was  $1,507,779. 

As  the  result  of  the  prevalence  of  an  insect  pest,  some- 
times called  a  midge  or  weevil,  between  the  years  1824 
and  1837,  wheat  growing  was  largely  abandoned  in  Ver- 
mont, and  sheep  raising  flourished.  The  tariflf  law  en- 
couraged Vermont  farmers  to  produce  wool,  and  the  in- 
dustry grew  rapidly. 


CO 


^     mr- 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        241 

Temperance  societies  were  active  in  Vermont  in  1(S30. 
The  first  annual  report  of  the  Washington  county 
organization,  made  in  September  of  that  year,  declared 
that  during  the  past  year  sixteen  thousand  gallons  of 
liquor  had  been  sold  in  the  seven  stores  of  Montpelier. 
Enough  had  been  sold  in  the  towns  of  Calais,  Moretown, 
Xorthfield,  Plainfield,  Stowe,  Waitsfield  and  Waterbury 
to  increase  the  total  to  29,423  gallons.  Xo  information 
had  been  secured  concerning  sales  in  the  remaining 
towns  of  the  county  but  estimating  them  on  a  basis  of 
the  towns  mentioned,  the  total  for  the  county,  dispensed 
by  merchants  and  others,  would  be  approximately  38,250 
gallons.  As  a  considerable  amount  of  intoxicating 
liquor  was  brought  into  the  county  by  individuals  for 
their  own  use,  the  total  consumption  was  estimated  to  be 
between  39,000  and  40,000  gallons.  Notwithstanding 
the  large  total  reported  it  was  asserted  that  the  sales  of 
liquor  showed  a  material  decrease  over  previous  years. 
The  sales  in  Montpelier  in  1827  were  said  to  have  been 
23,498  gallons.  A  decrease  of  30  per  cent  in  the  amount 
of  liquor  sold  was  reported  from  Stowe,  while  Plain- 
field  reported  a  falling  ofif  of  33  1-3  per  cent,  and  in 
W^aterbury  the  decrease  was  60  per  cent.  The  report 
asserted  that  whereas  formerly  the  annual  liquor  bill 
of  the  county  amounted  to  $30,000,  it  was  now  (1830) 
$20,000. 

An  Anti-Masonic  State  Convention  was  held  in  the 
State  House  at  Montpelier,  June  23,  1830.  Rev.  Aaron 
Leland  of  Chester  presided,  and  a  sermon  was  a  feature 
of  the  convention.      Heman  Allen  was  nominated  for 


242  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Governor  but  declined  to  be  a  candidate,  and  the  name  of 
Ex-Senator  William  A.  Palmer  was  substituted. 

The  Jackson  State  Convention  was  held  at  the  State 
House  on  July  7,  and  Ezra  Meech  of  Shelburne  was 
made  the  gubernatorial  candidate.  Governor  Crafts 
was  renominated  by  the  National  Republicans.  There 
was  no  choice  for  Governor  in  the  election  that  fol- 
lowed, although  Governor  Crafts  had  a  substantial  lead 
over  his  opponents.  The  vote  was  as  follows :  Crafts, 
13,476;  Palmer,  10,923;  Meech,  6,285;  scattering,  37. 
A  joint  legislative  session  was  held  on  October  15  for 
the  purpose  of  electing  a  Governor,  the  first  ballot  re- 
sulting as  follows:  Crafts,  105;  Palmer,  80;  William 
C.  Bradley  (Jackson  candidate),  38;  scattering,  5. 
Joint  sessions  were  held  both  morning  and  afternoon  on 
October  15,  16  and  18,  and  on  October  19,  on  the  thirty- 
second  ballot,  Governor  Crafts  was  reelected  by  a 
majority  of  six  votes.  Robert  B.  Bates  of  Middlebury 
was  elected  Speaker.  In  his  inaugural  address  Gov- 
ernor Crafts  protested  against  imprisonment  for  debt 
as  a  penalty  not  in  unison  with  the  spirit  of  the  age, 
and  declared  that  public  opinion  called  loudly  for  its  re- 
moval. He  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  Vermonters 
daily  were  emigrating  to  other  States,  and  he  urged  the 
need  of  an  easier  and  cheaper  mode  of  transportation  to 
the  market  towns.  Although  Vermont  had  paid  an- 
nually into  the  national  treasury  nearly  half  a  million 
dollars,  the  State,  he  said,  "has  received  no  benefit, 
excepting  so  far  as  those  works  may  have  added  to  the 
aggregate  wealth  and  resources  of  the  Nation."      In 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        24:J 

view  of  the  fact  he  favored  Congressional  aid  for  similar 
projects  in  Vermont. 

Mr.  Mallary  was  reelected  to  Congress  without  seri- 
ous opposition,  and  Mr.  Hunt  and  Mr.  Cahoon  were 
chosen  again.  In  a  second  election,  Mr.  Everett  was 
returned  to  Congress.  In  the  Fourth  district  there  was 
no  choice.  One  election  after  another  was  held  at  inter- 
vals of  about  two  months  with  a  variety  of  candidates 
until  the  summer  of  1832,  when  Heman  Allen,  formerly 
Minister  to  Chili,  the  National  Republican  candidate, 
was  chosen  in  the  eleventh  election. 

During  the  legislative  session  of  1830  Samuel  Pren- 
tiss of  Montpelier  was  elected  United  States  Senator  as 
the  Anti-Jackson  or  National  Republican  candidate, 
Dudley  Chase  having  declined  further  service.  The  vote 
stood  as  follows:  Samuel  Prentiss,  120;  William  A. 
Palmer  of  Danville,  60;  Titus  Hutchinson  of  Wood- 
stock, 29;  William  C.  Bradley  of  Westminster,  4;  scat- 
tering, 5.  Mr.  Prentiss  was  born  in  Stonington,  Conn., 
March  31,  1782,  but  removed  to  Northfield,  Mass.,  with 
his  parents  during  his  childhood.  He  studied  law  in 
Northfield  and  Brattleboro  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  December,  1802.  In  1803  he  settled  in  Montpelier, 
where  he  soon  built  up  an  extensive  practice.  In  1824 
and  1825  he  represented  Montpelier  in  the  Legislature. 
In  1822  he  was  elected  an  Assistant  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  but  declined  the  office.  In  1826  he  was 
again  elected  Assistant  Judge  and  accepted,  holding  the 
office  until  1829,  when  he  was  elected  Chief  Justice.  It 
is  worthy  of  note  that  the  Legislature  w^hich  elected  him 
LTnited  States  Senator  did  not  contain  a  majority  of 


244  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

National  Republicans.  He  remained  in  the  Senate  until 
the  death  of  the  venerable  Judge  Elijah  Paine,  when  he 
was  appointed  United  States  District  Judge,  a  position 
which  he  held  until  his  death,  January  15,  1857.  Chan- 
cellor Kent  of  New  York  is  said  to  have  declared  that 
Judge  Prentiss  was  the  best  jurist  in  New  England. 

During  the  legislative  session  of  1830,  the  act  dividing 
the  State  into  Congressional  districts  was  repealed, 
probably  to  avoid  the  frequent  special  elections  often 
made  necessary.  The  law  relating  to  imprisonment  for 
debt  was  amended,  the  body  of  the  debtor  being  exempted 
on  taking  a  specified  oath.  A  road  law  provided  for 
five  county  commissioners,  who  were  authorized  to  lay 
out  roads  and  provide  for  bridges.  The  Congressional 
delegation  was  asked  to  use  its  influence  to  secure  a  sur- 
vey by  United  States  engineers  of  the  most  eligible  route 
for  a  railroad  from  Boston  to  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.  The 
General  Assembly  declined  to  concur  with  the  Louisiana 
proposal  to  amend  the  United  States  Constitution  by 
extending  the  terms  of  the  President  and  Vice  President 
to  six  years,  and  making  the  President  ineligible  for 
reelection. 

During  the  winter  of  1830-31  the  health  of  Rollin  C. 
Mallary  began  to  fail.  He  was  able  to  participate 
somewhat  in  Congressional  affairs,  but  not  as  actively  as 
in  previous  years.  After  the  adjournment  of  Congress 
he  was  removed  to  the  home  of  a  relative  in  Baltimore, 
where  he  was  attended  by  his  wife.  He  died  April  15, 
1831,  in  his  forty-seventh  year.  The  funeral  was  held 
in  Baltimore,  among  the  honorary  pall  bearers  being 
Chief   Justice   Archer   of   the    District   Court,    Mayor 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        245 

Stewart,  officers  of  the  City  Council,  Ex-Congressman 
1  toward  and  Hezekiah  Niles,  editor  of  Nilcs'  Register. 
In  commenting  on  Mr.  Mallary's  death,  Nilcs'  Register 
said:  "By  close  examination  and  deep  study  he  had 
made  himself  exceedingly  well  acquainted  with  the  multi- 
farious concerns  of  this  great  branch  of  industry 
(manufactures);  and  he  was  always  on  the  alert  to 
take  care  of  its  interests.  His  labors  on  the  committee, 
especially  in  1828,  were  indeed  severe,  and  much  im- 
paired his  general  health.  His  fidelity  to  the  trusts 
reposed  in  him  was  never  surpassed — he  was  prompt  in 
debate,  always  ready  with  his  facts,  oftentimes  very 
powerful;  while  the  mildness  of  his  manners,  his  mani- 
fest honesty  and  frankness,  the  assurance  of  his  freedom 
from  wilful  misrepresentation  and  chicanery,  always 
gathered  to  him  the  confidence  of  those  who  generally 
thought  and  acted  with  him,  and  disarmed  his  opponents 
of  that  bitterness  which  has  so  often  and  too  freely, 
entered  into  debate  on  the  tarifif  question.  He  was 
steady  at  his  post  and,  emphatically  speaking,  one  of  the 
very  best  business  members  of  the  House.  His  decease 
is  a  national  loss." 

The  Vermont  Statesman,  in  its  obituary  of  Mr.  Mal- 
lary  said:  "His  station  as  chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Manufactures  has  been  the  most  laborious  and,  per- 
haps, the  most  important  one  in  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives for  the  last  six  sessions,  and  no  member  from 
the  Northern  States  has  received  more  homage  and  re- 
spect, or  exerted  more  influence  in  that  body."  The 
bitterness  of  the  South  toward  the  tariff  law  is  reflected 
in  coarse  and  scurrilous  comments  published  in  a  South 


246  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Carolina  newspaper  concerning  Mr.  Mallary's  death. 

Mr.  Mallary  died  shortly  before  he  had  reached  the 
comparatively  early  age  of  forty-seven  years,  but  he  had 
become,  probably,  the  most  conspicuous  champion  of  the 
protective  policy  in  Congress.  Henry  Clay,  the  famous 
champion  of  the  "American  System,"  was  tending 
toward  compromise  in  order  to  allay  Southern  hostility, 
but  Mr.  Mallary  was  not  inclined  to  yield  to  threats  of 
secession  and  was  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  wisdom 
of  the  measures  that  he  advocated.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  Vermont  should  furnish  to  the  Nation  in  the  per- 
sons of  Roll  in  C.  Mallary  and  Justin  S.  Morrill,  two  of 
the  most  conspicuous  champions  of  a  protective  tariff 
in  American  history.  At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Mal- 
lary ranked  among  the  most  influential  men  in  either 
branch  of  Congress,  and  had  his  life  been  spared  he 
might  have  ranked  among  the  great  statesmen  of  Ameri- 
can history.  In  later  years  his  services  have  not  re- 
ceived the  recognition  they  deserve.  The  importance 
of  the  position  he  held  as  chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Manufactures  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  was 
succeeded  in  the  position  by  Ex-President  John  Ouincy 
Adams,  whom  a  Massachusetts  district  had  sent  to  the 
National  House  of  Representatives.  Mr.  Mallary  was 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  men  whom  Vermont  has 
sent  to  the  American  Congress  and  his  early  death  was 
a  serious  loss  both  to  the  State  and  the  Nation. 

The  candidates  nominated  to  succeed  Mr.  Mallary 
were  William  Slade  (Anti-Masonic),  Mr.  Williams 
(National  Republican)  and  Mr.  White  (Jacksonian). 
Mr.  Slade  had  a  large  plurality  over  Mr.  Williams,  and 


TJIK   FA'OLl'TlOX   OF   A   STATK        247 

Mr.  White's  vote  was  small,  but  there  was  no  choice. 
After  several  unsuccessful  attempts  had  been  made,  Mr. 
Slade  was  chosen  to  fill  the  unexpired  term.  William 
v^lade  was  born  in  Cornwall,  May  9,  1786,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  Middlebury  College  in  1807.  He  was  ad- 
milted  to  the  bar  in  1810  and  began  the  practice  of  law 
at  Middlebury.  He  established  The  Columbian  Patriot, 
which  he  edited  from  1814  to  1816.  In  1812  he  was  a 
Presidential  Elector.  He  was  Secretary  of  State  from 
1815  to  1823  and  Assistant  Judge  of  Addison  County 
Court  from  1816  to  1822.  Allusion  has  been  made  to 
his  service  as  Clerk  in  the  State  Department  at  Wash- 
ington and  his  removal  by  the  Jackson  administration. 
He  served  in  Congress  until  1843  and  during  1843  and 
1844  was  Reporter  of  Decisions  of  the  Vermont  Supreme 
Court.  He  was  Governor  of  the  State  in  1845  and  1846. 
Although  an  active  figure  in  the  political  life  of  his  time 
he  is  better  known  to  later  generations  as  the  compiler  of 
"Slade's  State  Papers."     He  died  January  18,  1859. 

During  the  year  1831  a  citizen  of  Vermont  quite  un- 
willingly figured  in  a  State  Rights  controversy  which 
grew  out  of  the  Indian  policy  of  the  Government.  Rev. 
Samuel  A.  Worcester,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
Vermont,  was  a  missionary  sent  to  the  Cherokee  Indians 
of  Georgia  by  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
for  Foreign  Missions,  where  he  had  labored  for  years. 
He  had  been  appointed  by  President  John  Quincy 
Adams,  Postmaster  at  the  Indian  town  of  New  Echota. 
Georgia  had  seized  the  Indian  lands  and  enacted  a  law 
compelling  all  white  men  in  the  Indian  country  to  secure 
a  license  prior  to  March   1,   1831,  permitting  them  to 


248  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

remain,  under  penalty  of  imprisonment  for  refusal  to 
obey  the  act.  Mr.  Worcester  and  several  of  his  asso- 
ciates refused  to  take  out  licenses,  and  they  were  ar- 
rested, but  the  Vermonter  was  released  because  he  was 
a  Federal  office  holder.  The  Jackson  administration 
came  to  the  assistance  of  Georgia  by  removing  Mr. 
Worcester  from  the  office  of  Postmaster.  He  was  ar- 
rested again  and  taken  to  jail,  chained  by  the  neck  to  a 
baggage  wagon.  A  State  court  found  him  guilty  and 
sentenced  him  to  four  years  in  the  penitentiary.  An 
ofifer  of  a  pardon  from  the  Governor  if  he  would  promise 
never  again  to  violate  the  law  was  refused  and  an  appeal 
was  taken  to  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  The 
case  attracted  wide  attention  and  Northern  newspapers 
published  accounts  of  the  sufferings  of  Mr.  Worcester 
and  his  fellow  prisoners.  Georgia  refused  to  appear  be- 
fore the  Supreme  Court  and  denied  its  jurisdiction. 
Chief  Justice  Marshall  delivered  the  opinion  in  the  case 
which  has  been  described  as  one  of  the  noblest  ever 
written  by  him,  in  which  the  Cherokee  laws  of  Georgia 
were  declared  unconstitutional,  and  an  order  was  issued 
directing  the  release  of  the  prisoners.  This  order  the 
State  refused  to  obey,  and  as  the  Jackson  administra- 
tion was  hostile  to  the  court  and  in  sympathy  with 
Georgia,  the  defiance  of  the  highest  court  was  permitted 
to  go  uni)unished,  and  the  decree  unenforced.  After 
remaining  in  prison  for  a  year  or  more  Mr.  Worcester 
was  pardoned  and  returned  to  Vermont. 

The  election  of  State  officers  in  1831  resulted  in  no 
choice  for  Governor,  the  vote  being  as  follows:  Wil- 
liam A.  Palmer  (Anti-Masonic),  15,258;  TTeman  Allen 


TJIIC  KNUlvl'TlOX   OK  A   STATE        1^49 

(National  Republican),  12,990;  Ezra  Meech  (Jack- 
sonian),  ().158;  scattering-,  270.  The  National  Republi- 
can vote  in  the  Legislature  was  divided  between  llenian 
Allen  and  Governor  Crafts,  but  the  united  vote  of  the 
I)arty  would  have  been  insufficient  to  elect.  On  the  ninth 
ballot  Ex-Senator  Palmer  was  elected. 

The  Anti-Masonic  movement  spread  with  great 
rapidity  in  Vermont,  and  Caledonia  county  was  the 
center  of  activity  in  New  England.  It  is  difficult  to 
realize  the  extent  of  the  disturbance  caused  throughout 
the  State  by  this  political  development.  The  "History 
of  Woodstock"  declares  that  "the  animosities  engen- 
dered by  the  strife  reached  every  family;  they  penetrated 
even  the  sanctuary  and  were  attended  with  an  exhibition 
of  personalities  such  as  the  lover  of  sobriety  and  good 
order  in  society  may  hope  never  to  see  repeated."  In 
some  instances  clergymen  who  were  Masons  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  their  parishes,  not  being  allowed  to  enter 
churches.  Families  and  churches  were  divided.  Else- 
where Masons  were  excluded  from  jury  service  and 
from  important  towm  offices.  At  a  funeral  held  in  Dan- 
ville, relatives  who  were  Masons  occupied  one  room  and 
their  opponents  another.  One  faction  stood  on  one  side 
of  the  grave,  and  the  other  on  the  opposite  side.  A  con- 
siderable number  of  Masons  withdrew  from  their  lodges 
and  joined  the  new  movement.  Some  persons  traveled 
about  the  country  giving  what  purported  to  be  exhibi- 
tions of  the  working  of  Masonic  degrees.  In  1831  an 
attempt  to  dissolve  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Vermont, 
F.  and  A.  M.,  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  99  to  19.  At 
the  annual  meeting  held  on  the  second  Friday  of  October, 


250  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

1833,  a  similar  motion  was  voted  down,  79  to  41,  but  a 
resolution  was  adopted  permitting  local  lodges  to  sur- 
render their  charters  and  dispose  of  their  property,  only 
recommending  that  the  money  obtained  from  such  sales 
be  given  to  the  common  school  funds  of  the  State. 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  Vermont  was  organized  at  a  con- 
vention held  at  Rutland,  October  14,  1794.  Previous 
to  that  time  five  lodges  had  been  organized,  two  receiv- 
ing charters  from  Connecticut,  two  from  Massachusetts 
and  one  from  Lower  Canada.  The  charters  were  dated 
respectively,  1781,  1785,  1791,  1793  and  1794.  At  the 
time  of  the  convention  of  1833,  seventy-three  chapters 
had  been  granted  to  Vermont  lodges  and  sixty-eight  were 
in  force.  In  an  address  issued  to  the  people  of  Vermont 
by  the  officers  of  the  Grand  Lodge  and  signed  by  Nathan 
B.  Haswell,  Grand  Master,  and  others,  it  was  charged 
that  the  Anti-Masonic  agitation  was  political  in  its 
nature.  Referring  to  the  fact  that  Masons  had  been 
declared  unworthy  of  civil  or  political  promotion,  the 
address  said:  "The  bench,  the  magistracy,  the  jury 
box,  the  halls  of  legislation,  have  been  declared  situa- 
tions in  which  our  presence  v/as  inadmissible ;  and  as  far 
as  our  enemies  have  had  the  power  and  dared  to  exercise 
it,  these  doctrines  have  been  enforced.  It  is  but  a  few 
weeks  since  it  was  resolved  solemnly  in  a  public  meet- 
ing that  we  'ought  to  be  disfranchised'."  It  was  inti- 
mated that  the  persecution  which  the  Masons  had  under- 
gone might  be  visited  upon  the  Methodists  a  little  later. 
The  signers  asserted  that  never  to  their  knowledge  had 
the  Masonic  institution  of  Vermont  been  "forced  from 
its  legitimate  objects  of  general   benevolence  and  dif- 


TlllC   J{\()lA"rj()X    UK   A   STATK        251 

fusive  charity."  It  was  asserted  that  there  had  been  no 
Masonic  interference  with  religion  or  poHtics. 

At  a  meeting,  of  Washington  county  Masons,  held  at 
Montpelier,  September  19,  1834,  resolutions  were  unani- 
mously adopted  declaring  that  for  the  sake  of  restoring 
public  tranciuillity  it  was  expedient  and  proper  that  the 
Masonic  institution  should  be  dissolved,  and  these  resolu- 
tions also  expressed  the  belief  that  among  the  changes 
and  improvements  of  society  it  had  become  unnecessary. 
This  was  followed  by  the  declaration  that  "we  hereby 
cheerfully  relinquish  it  forever."  Similar  resolutions 
were  adopted  on  September  30  by  the  Masons  of  Wind- 
sor county.  The  Anti-Masonic  movement  flourished 
for  several  years,  ending  about  1835. 

The  Legislature  of  1831  organized  by  electing  John 
Smith  of  St.  Albans  as  Speaker.  In  his  inaugural  ad- 
dress Governor  Palmer  alluded  to  the  approbation 
uniformly  expressed  by  the  people  of  Vermont  concern- 
ing the  national  policies  of  a  protective  tariff  and  in- 
ternal improvements.  He  objected  to  the  power  which 
the  creditor  was  able  to  exercise  over  the  debtor  and 
questioned  the  necessity  of  the  frequent  administration 
of  oaths. 

The  Legislature  authorized  the  appointment  in  each 
county  of  an  inspector  of  hops.  A  banking  law  was  en- 
acted providing  for  the  inspection  of  each  bank  in  the 
State  at  least  once  a  year  and  authorizing  the  appoint- 
ment of  three  commissioners. 

An  Anti-Masonic  National  Convention  was  opened  at 
Baltimore  on  September  26,  1831.  The  delegates  from 
\^ermont    were   Josiah    Rising   of    Rupert,    Samuel    C. 


252  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Loveland  of  Reading,  Charles  Davis  of  Danville,  Joseph 
H.  Brainerd  of  St.  Albans  and  Edward  D.  Barber  of 
Middlebury.  Among  the  delegates  from  other  States 
were  William  H.  Seward  of  New  York  and  Thaddeus 
Stevens  of  Pennsylvania.  It  does  not  appear  that  the 
Vermont  delegation  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. 

A  national  tariff  convention  was  held  in  New  York, 
opening  on  October  26,  1831.  The  Vermont  delegates 
were  Martin  Chittenden  of  Williston,  Charles  Paine  of 
Northfield,  Heman  Allen  of  Burlington,  Isaac  N.  Cush- 
man  of  Hartland,  Francis  Slason  of  Rutland,  Thomas 
Hammond  of  Orwell,  Charles  H.  Hammond  of  Benning- 
ton and  Mark  Richards  of  Westminster.  Mr.  Paine 
was  one  of  the  four  secretaries  of  the  convention  and 
Mr.  Allen  was  member  of  a  committee  appointed  to  pre- 
pare an  address  to  the  people.  Members  of  the  two  prin- 
cipal parties  were  represented  in  the  Vermont  delegation. 

The  National  Republican  Convention  convened  at 
Baltimore  on  December  12,  1831.  The  Vermont  dele- 
gates were  Dan  Carpenter  of  Waterbury,  William  A. 
Griswold  of  Burlington,  Thomas  D.  Hammond  of 
Orwell,  William  Jones  of  Weathersfield,  Robert  Temple 
of  Rutland  and  Phineas  White  of  Putney.  The  con- 
vention nominated  Henry  Clay  of  Kentucky  for  Presi- 
dent and  John  Sargent  of  Pennsylvania  for  Vice  Presi- 
dent. Mr.  Temple  of  Rutland  was  one  of  the  four  vice 
presidents  of  the  convention  and  Mr.  Jarvis  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  committee  appointed  to  notify  Mr.  Clay  of  his 
nomination. 


TIIJ^   J':\()Ll  TIOX   OK   A   STATE        25:j 

A  Jackson  National  Convention  was  iield  at  Calti- 
more,  opening  May  21,  1832,  the  party  designation  used 
being  that  of  Jackson  RepubHcan.  jjoth  parties  still 
clung  to  the  name  RepubHcan,  although  both  were  to 
abandon  it  soon.  Vermont's  seven  votes  were  cast  for 
Martin  Van  Buren  for  President.  Stephen  Haight  of 
Monkton  was  one  of  Vermont's  delegates. 

A  Young  Men's  National  Republican  Convention  was 
held  at  Baltimore  May  11  and  12,  1832.  Two  of  the 
V^ermont  delegates  were  Samuel  B.  Prentiss  and  J.  Rich. 

At  the  opening  of  Congress  in  December,  1831,  Sen- 
ator Seymour  of  Vermont  was  made  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Agriculture. 

On  May  11,  1832,  Congressman  Jonathan  Hunt  of 
Vermont  died  at  Washington,  and  his  funeral  was 
attended  by  members  of  the  House.  He  had  been  a 
useful  member  and  had  displayed  an  ability  superior  to 
that  shown  by  the  average  Congressman. 

In  June,  1832,  there  was  a  severe  outbreak  of  cholera 
in  Quebec  and  Montreal,  which  aroused  widespread 
alarm  in  Vermont.  A  steamboat  that  arrived  at  White- 
hall, N.  Y.,  on  June  15,  brought  one  hundred  and  fifty 
immigrants  from  Montreal,  two  of  whom  died  of  chol- 
era on  the  voyage.  As  a  result  immigrants  were  forcibly 
prevented  from  landing  at  Plattsburg  and  Burlington. 
A  citizen  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  who  had  been  to  Montreal, 
died  on  a  steamboat  at  Whitehall.  Only  one  physician 
in  town  would  give  assistance  and  the  captain  of  the 
boat  w-as  obliged  to  bury  the  dead  man.  Steamboats 
were  prevented  from  bringing  more  immigrants  and 
every    sudden    death    in    the    Champlain    valley    was 


254  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

attributed  to  cholera.  There  were  a  few  fatal  cases  in 
Vermont.  The  disease  was  prevalent  in  Europe.  Mr. 
Van  Ness,  the  United  States  Minister  to  Spain,  suffered 
an  attack,  and  Mrs.  Van  Ness  died  of  cholera. 

The  State  election  of  1832,  like  that  of  1830  and  1831, 
resulted  in  no  choice,  the  vote  for  Governor  being  as 
follows:  William  A.  Palmer  (Anti-Masonic),  17,318; 
Samuel  C.  Crafts  (National  Republican),  15,499;  Ezra 
Meech  (Democratic),  8,210.  This  year  the  Jackson  or 
Jackson-Republican  party  was  known  as  the  Democratic 
organization.  The  Legislature  balloted  from  October 
12  to  October  18,  and  on  the  forty-third  ballot  Governor 
Palmer  was  reelected,  receiving  111  votes.  Governor 
Crafts  received  72,  and  Mr.  Meech  Z7  votes.  In  his 
inaugural  address  Governor  Palmer  alluded  to  the 
cholera  epidemic,  which  had  raged  in  the  Canadian 
provinces  and  neighboring  States,  and  declared  that  he 
had  not  had  the  authority  necessary  to  establish  cjuaran- 
tine  regulations  as  requested  by  certain  individuals  and 
organizations.  Referring  to  the  opposition  of  President 
Jackson  to  rechartering  the  United  States  Bank,  he  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  a  great  majority  of  Vermonters 
were  in  favor  of  the  continuation  of  the  bank.  John 
Smith  of  St.  Albans  was  reelected  Speaker. 

A  charter  was  granted  to  the  Vermont  Railroad  Com- 
pany to  build  from  some  point  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
Lake  Champlain,  following  the  valley  of  the  Winooski 
River,  to  a  point  on  the  Connecticut  River  where  it 
would  meet  a  railroad  from  Boston  and  Concord.  The 
incorporators  were  Timothy  Follett,  John  N.  Pomeroy, 
John  Peck,  Luther  LfK)mis,  Harry  Bradley,  John  John- 


Till-:   K\()Ja TKJX    Ol-    A   STATK        L^V) 

son,  Ilenrx'  'I'honias,  Sanuicl  Trentiss,  'riniolhy  1  lub- 
bard,  Thonias  Rcvd,  jr.,  Elisha  I*.  Jcwclt,  Dan  Car- 
penter, John  Si)aldin«4-,  Joseph  Reed,  Joshua  ^'.  \'ail, 
Daniel  Baldwin,  Araunah  Waterman,  Oraniel  11.  Smith, 
Ezekiel  P.  Walton.  George  W.  Hill,  William  Upham, 
Isaac  N.  Cushman,  John  McDuffie,  David  Johnson, 
Jacob  Collamer,  Ira  Day,  John  Downer,  Charles  Paine, 
Jonathan  Jenness,  William  Atkinson,  Amplius  Blake, 
Jedediah  H.  Harris  and  George  W.  Prichard.  The 
capital  stock  was  one  million  dollars. 

As  \'ermont  grew  in  population,  the  first  State  House 
was  found  inadequate  for  legislative  and  executive 
business.  In  1831  a  resolution  was  adopted  appointing 
Ezra  Meech  of  Shelburne,  Robert  Temple  of  Rutland, 
Allen  W^ardner  of  Windsor  and  Timothy  Plubbard  of 
Montpelier,  a  committee  to  consider  proposals  from 
varicuts  towns  for  the  erection  of  a  new  State  House. 
The  Committee  reported  in  1832  that  the  citizens  of 
Burlington  had  offered  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  a 
building  if  that  town  should  be  made  the  State  capital. 
The  people  of  Montpelier  and  vicinity  oft"ered  to  con- 
tribute fifteen  thousand  dollars  toward  a  new  building, 
which  should  be  erected  on  or  near  the  site  of  the  first 
State  House,  the  cost  of  which  should  be  not  less  than 
thirty  thousand  dollars.  The  Legislature  therefore 
voted  to  appropriate  fifteen  thousand  dollars  toward  the 
erection  of  a  State  House  at  Montpelier,  provided  the 
inhabitants  of  that  town,  on  or  before  January  1,  1833, 
gave  a  bond  to  pay  the  sum  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars. 
Samuel  C.  Crafts  of  Craftsbury,  Allen  Wardner  of 
Windsor    and    George    T.    Plodges    of    Rutland,    were 


256  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

appointed  a  building  committee,  and  Lieut.  Gov.  Leb- 
beus  R.  Egerton  of  Randolph  was  named  as  superin- 
tendent. After  visiting  the  capitals  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  the  committee 
accepted  a  design  submitted  by  Ammi  B.  Young,  a 
Montpelier  architect.  The  building  was  located  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  northwest  of  the  first  State 
House,  in  order  that  the  grounds  in  front  of  the  build- 
ing might  be  more  spacious.  Dark  Barre  granite  was 
chosen  for  the  building  material.  The  cost  of  prepar- 
ing the  foundation  was  large,  as  it  was  necessary  to  re- 
move a  ledge  of  rocks  in  order  to  secure  the  proper 
level.  Consequently  subsequent  Legislatures  appro- 
priated twenty  thousand  dollars,  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  and  thirty  thousand  dollars  respectively,  for 
completing  and  furnishing  the  building,  grading  the 
grounds  and  fencing  them.  Later  twenty-eight  thou- 
sand, five  hundred  dollars  was  appropriated  for  com- 
pleting the  work,  which  was  accomplished  in  1838. 

The  structure  consisted  of  a  central  building  one  hun- 
dred feet  deep,  with  two  wings,  fifty  feet  deep,  the 
length  of  the  entire  building  being  one  hundred  and 
fifty-six  feet.  It  was  surmounted  by  a  dome  sheathed 
with  copper,  the  height  being  one  hundred  feet.  In 
front  of  the  building  was  a  portico,  modeled,  it  is  said, 
after  the  Temple  of  Theseus  with  some  slight  variations, 
and  ornamented  with  six  fluted  Doric  pillars,  each  six 
feet  in  diameter.  The  first  floor  was  used  for  State 
offices  and  committee  rooms.  On  the  second  floor  were 
the   halls    used    for   legislative   purposes.      This    State 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        257 

House  was  first  used  in  1836,  some  time  before  its 
completion. 

In  1832  the  State  again  was  divided  into  Congres- 
sional districts,  as  follows:  First  District — Bennington 
and  Windham  counties  and  the  Windsor  county  towns 
of  Andover.  Baltimore,  Cavendish,  Chester,  Ludlow, 
Springfield  and  Weston. 

Second  District — Addison  and  Rutland  counties. 

Third  District — Orange  county  and  Windsor  county 
with  the  exception  of  the  towns  contained  in  the  First 
District. 

Fourth  District — Chittenden,  Grand  Isle  and  Franklin 
counties  and  part  of  Orleans  county. 

Fifth  District — Caledonia,  Essex  and  Washington 
counties  and  the  Orleans  county  towns  of  Barton, 
Brownington,  Charleston,  Derby,  Glover,  Greensboro, 
Holland,  Morgan,  Salem  and  Westmore. 

The  national  agitation  over  the  tariff,  internal  im- 
])rovements  and  the  United  States  Bank  are  reflected  in 
resolutions  adopted.  Reference  was  made  to  "an  organ- 
ized and  powerful  opposition  to  the  system  of  protection 
to  domestic  enterprise  and  industry  usually  denominated 
the  'American  System,'  which  has  heretofore  been  con- 
sidered the  settled  policy  of  the  Government";  and  to  a 
proposition  for  the  reduction  of  tariff  duties  "to  an 
extent  destructive  to  the  leading  interests  of  the  Union," 
made  bv  the  head  of  the  Treasury  Department,  with  the 
sanction  of  the  President.  Senators  were  instructed  and 
Representatives  requested  "to  oppose  any  and  every 
modification  of  the  tariff  laws  which  shall  have  any  ten- 
dency to  weaken  or  destroy  their  efficiency  as  a  system 


258  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

of  protection  to  domestic  manufactures."  They  were 
also  instructed  "to  aid  in  procuring  appropriations  for 
such  works  of  internal  improvement  as  shall,  in  their 
opinion,  be  of  general  and  national  importance";  and  "to 
use  their  endeavors  to  procure  a  recharter  of  the  present 
Bank  of  the  United  States." 

An  echo  of  the  controversy  between  President  Jackson 
and  Chief  Justice  Marshall  is  heard  in  the  instructions 
to  the  members  of  the  Congressional  delegation  to  use 
their  influence  and  their  votes  "to  preserve  inviolate  the 
integrity  and  resist  all  encroachments  upon  the  author- 
ity of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  and  to 
insure  the  independence  of  the  judiciary  in  every  depart- 
ment." Several  banks  were  incorporated  during  the 
session;  a  village  charter  was  granted  to  Brattleboro, 
and  Middlebury,  incorporated  as  a  borough  in  1816,  was 
granted  a  charter  as  a  village. 

In  the  Presidential  election  of  1832,  President  Jack- 
son was  reelected  by  a  large  majority  over  Henry  Clay 
and  other  candidates.  Vermont  was  the  only  State  in 
the  Union  to  cast  its  vote  for  the  Anti-Masonic  candi- 
dates, William  Wirt  of  Maryland  and  Amos  Ellmaker 
of  Pennsylvania.  The  various  candidates  received 
pluralities  in  the  following  counties:  Wirt,  Addison, 
Caledonia,  Franklin,  Orange,  Orleans  and  Windsor ; 
Clay,  Bennington,  Chittenden,  Grand  Isle,  Rutland  and 
Windham ;  Jackson,  Essex  and  Washington.  The  Ver- 
mont Presidential  Electors  chosen  in  1832  were: 
James  Tarbox  of  Randolph,  Amos  Thompson  of  Poult- 
ney,  Nathan  Leavenworth  of  Hinesburg,  John  S.  Petti- 
bone    of     Manchester,     Ezra     Butler    ol'     Waterlntry, 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        259 

Augustine  Clark  of  Monlpelicr  and  William  Strong  of 
Hartford. 

Hon.  Horatio  Seymour,  having  declined  to  be  a  can- 
didate for  reelection  to  the  United  States  Senate,  Benja- 
min Swift,  a  former  Congressman,  was  elected,  the  vote 
in  the  Legislature  being  as  follows:  Benjamin  Swift 
of  St.  Albans,  120;  Orsamus  C.  Merrill  of  Ik'nnington, 
43;  Charles  K.  Williams  of  Rutland,  26;  William  Slade 
of  Middlebury,  10;  scattering,  5.  Congressmen  William 
Slade,  Horace  Everett,  Hiland  Hall  and  Heman  Allen 
were  reelected.  Benjamin  F.  Deming  of  Danville  w^as 
chosen  to  succeed  Mr.  Cahoon.  He  was  born  in  Dan- 
ville in  1790,  was  Clerk  of  Caledonia  County  Court, 
1817-1833,  Judge  of  Probate  from  1821  until  1833,  and 
a  member  of  the  Executive  Council  from  1824  to  1833. 
He  died  July  11,  1834. 

Hiland  Hall  of  Bennington  had  been  elected  to  fill  the 
unexpired  portion  of  the  term  of  Jonathan  Hunt,  de- 
ceased, and  now  was  chosen  for  a  full  term.  He  was 
born  in  Bennington,  July  20.  1795,  attended  the  public 
schools,  studied  law^  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1819, 
practicing  his  profession  in  his  native  town,  which  he 
represented  in  the  Legislature  of  1827.  He  w^as  County 
Clerk  for  Bennington  county  in  1828  and  State's  Attor- 
ney. 1828-1831.  He  served  in  Congress  until  March, 
1843,  when  he  was  appointed  State  Bank  Commissioner, 
a  position  which  he  held  until  1846.  He  was  a  Judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Vermont  from  1846  to  1850, 
Second  Comptroller  of  the  United  States  Treasury, 
1850-1851.  and  L'nited  States  Land  Commissioner  for 
California,  1851-1854.     He  was  a  delesrate  to  the  first 


260  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Republican  National  Convention  in  1856  and  was 
elected  Governor  of  Vermont  in  1858,  being  reelected  in 
1859.  He  was  chairman  of  the  Vermont  delegation  to 
the  Peace  Congress  of  1861.  He  was  a  diligent  student 
of  Vermont  history  and  for  six  years  was  president  of 
the  Vermont  Historical  Society.  In  1868  his  "Early 
History  of  Vermont"  was  published.  This  is  a 
thorough  and  comprehensive  work.  Governor  Hall 
was  actively  engaged  in  the  promotion  and  erection  of 
the  Bennington  Battle  Monument.  He  died  December 
18,  1885,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Governor  Hall 
was  one  of  the  ablest,  most  useful,  and  most  versatile  of 
the  public  men  of  Vermont. 

The  threatening  attitude  of  South  Carolina,  resulting 
from  the  opposition  of  the  South  to  the  tarifif  act  of  1828, 
was  intensified  by  the  passage  of  the  so-called  "Force 
Bill,"  designed  to  aid  in  the  collection  of  duties.  Fol- 
lowing the  enactment  of  this  measure,  Henry  Clay  pro- 
posed one  of  the  famous  compromises  with  which  his 
name  is  identified,  and  which  provided  for  a  gradual  re- 
duction of  tarifif  duties  and  a  large  increase  in  the  free 
list.  The  measure  was  frankly  ofifered  as  a  concession 
to  the  South.  Mr.  Everett  of  Vermont  in  vain  sought 
to  amend  the  bill  by  restoring  the  former  duty  on  wool, 
but  was  opposed  by  James  K.  Polk  and  others.  By  the 
close  vote  of  58  to  55,  the  House  adopted  an  amend- 
ment laying  a  duty  of  two  cents  a  pound  on  copperas, 
ofifered  by  Mr.  Everett.  All  members  of  the  Vermont 
delegation  in  both  Senate  and  House  voted  against  the 
Clay  compromise  tariff  bill,  which  became  a  law  in  183v3. 


TIIK  EVOLrriOX   OI^^  A   STATE        261 

The  general  support  given  by  the  people  of  Vermont 
to  the  protective  tariff  system  at  this  time,  irrespective 
of  party  lines,  is  indicated  by  the  action  of  political  con- 
ventions, legislative  resolutions  and  the  utterances  of 
newspapers.  The  Democratic  State  Convention  of  1833 
declared,  "We  consider  the  doctrine  or  opinion  that  a 
member  of  the  Confederacy  can  nullify  or  oppose,  by 
force,  a  law  of  the  Union,  as  a  dangerous  political 
heresy,  and  as  manifestly  at  war  with  the  letter  and 
spirit  of  the  Constitution."  In  discussing  possible  can- 
didates for  Congress  in  1832,  the  Burlington  Sentinel, 
a  Democratic  newspaper,  said :  "As  to  the  great  ques- 
tion of  the  American  System,  there  is  but  one  party  in 
New  England,  and  where  is  the  man  in  this  district  that 
is  not  of  that  party?"  Later  in  the  same  year  the  Senti- 
nel said:  "The  time  has  been  when  all  New  England, 
except  Vermont,  was  opposed  to  the  American  vSystem. 
Vermont  alone  has  always  been  true  and  faithful  to 
that  policy."  A  Young  Men's  Democratic-Republican 
Convention,  held  at  St.  Albans  in  1832,  approved  a  pro- 
tective tariff  policy,  and  a  system  of  internal  improve- 
ments, and  declared  that  the  Supreme  Court  decision  on 
the  Cherokee  land  case,  involving  the  rights  of  an 
Indian  tribe  in  Georgia,  was  "paramount  to  the  laws  of 
that  State." 

In  June,  1833,  it  was  expected  that  President  Jackson 
would  visit  Vermont,  and  plans  were  made  to  receive 
him  with  suitable  honors,  but  owing  to  ill  health  he  was 
unable  to  continue  his  trip  northward,  coming  no  farther 
than  Concord,  N.  H. 


262  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

The  desire  to  overthrow  the  Anti-Masonic  party  in 
Vermont  was  so  strong  that  in  the  summer  of  1833  the 
National  Republicans  and  Democrats,  long  time  political 
enemies,  united  on  a  coalition  ticket,  the  Democrats 
naming  candidates  for  Governor  and  four  Councillors, 
and  the  National  Republicans,  the  candidates  for  Lieu- 
tenant Governor,  Treasurer,  and  eight  Councillors. 
Ezra  Meech  of  Shelburne  was  nominated  for  Governor, 
and  declared  his  belief  in  a  protective  tariff.  A  few  dis- 
satisfied National  Republicans  nominated  ex-Senator 
Horatio  Seymour  as  a  candidate  for  Governor,  but  he 
declined  the  nomination.  Notwithstanding  this  rather 
unnatural  political  combination,  Governor  Palmer  was 
reelected,  receiving  a  small  majority  of  the  popular  vote. 
The  official  figures  were  as  follows:  William  Palmer, 
20,565;  Ezra  Meech,  15,683;  Horatio  Seymour,  1,765; 
John  Roberts,  772;  scattering,  120.  Although  Ex- 
Senator  Seymour  had  refused  a  nomination,  he  received 
the  votes  of  some  National  Republicans  who  would  not 
support  the  Democratic  candidate.  Union  candidates 
were  elected  in  the  Legislature  by  narrow  majorities  and 
John  Smith  was  reelected  Speaker  by  a  majority  of 
two  votes. 

In  his  inaugural  address.  Governor  Palmer  referred 
to  the  need  of  revising  the  militia  laws  of  the  State.  A 
glimpse  of  the  home  life  of  the  Vermont  executive  is 
shown  in  a  letter  from  a  British  visitor,  which  was  pub- 
lished in  the  London  Courier  and  in  which  he  relates  the 
fact  that  he  was  detained  for  an  hour  or  two  at  a  cer- 
tain place  (probably  Danville,  Vt.)  and  saw  "a  sturdy 
looking  farmer  pass  the  inn,  driving  a  one-horse  cart, 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        263 

loaded  with  \\oul,  on  which  he  was  seated.  He  drove 
to  the  store,  shouldered  his  bales  of  wool,  one  after  an- 
other, and  placed  them  in  the  merchant's  shop. 
Who  do  you  think  this  was?  Palmer,  the  present 
Governor  of  the  State  of  Vermont." 

Among-  the  acts  of  1833  was  one  directing  the  officials 
to  report  the  number  of  blind  persons,  and  those  needing 
aid  in  securing  an  education.  Provision  was  made  for 
the  appointment  of  commissioners  of  the  deaf  and  dumb, 
whose  duties  included  the  superintendence  of  the  educa- 
tion of  blind  children,  an  annual  appropriation  of  one 
thousand,  two  hundred  dollars  being  made  for  this  pur- 
pose. The  gratitude  of  the  Legislature  was  expressed 
to  the  Governor  and  other  officials  of  Lower  Canada 
"for  their  cordial  and  efficient  exertions  in  apprehend- 
ing and  bringing  to  justice  the  extensive  combination 
of  forgers  and  counterfeiters  of  American  coin  and  bank 
bills,  located  within  the  limits  of  that  province." 
Various  acts  were  passed  during  the  period  for  the  relief 
of  turnpike  companies,  making  such  roads  public  high- 
ways. 

Senator  Prentiss,  on  March  H,  1834,  presented  a 
memorial  signed  by  citizens  of  Burlington,  Vt.,  praying 
for  a  restoration  of  Government  deposits  to  the  United 
States  Bank,  "and  spoke  at  considerable  length  on  the 
subject  at  large."  He  was  followed  by  his  colleague, 
Senator  Swift,  "who  described  the  derangement  of  busi- 
ness in  Vermont,  and  the  distress  that  prevailed, 
aggravated  as  it  was  by  the  failure  of  the  grain  crops 
last  season."  The  newspapers  of  the  period  contain 
numerous  references  to  petitions  of  a  similar  nature  pre- 


264  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

sented  by  Vermont  Senators  and  Congressmen.  The 
Burlington  Sentinel  referred  to  "the  depressed  and 
embarrassed  condition  of  affairs  in  Vermont,"  adding: 
"The  mechanic  and  farming  classes  are  overwhehned 
with  debt.  Their  farms  and  products  are  under  a  con- 
tinual mortgage  and  lien." 

Congressman  Everett  was  chairman  of  a  committee 
which  reported  a  bill  to  establish  an  Indian  Territory 
in  the  West  and  he  explained  its  provisions  to  the  House. 

A  Council  of  Censors  met  at  Montpelier,  June  4,  1834, 
and  elected  as  president  Joel  Doolittle  of  Middlebury. 
The  other  members  were  Stephen  Robinson  of  Benning- 
ton, William  Strong  of  Hartford,  John  Phelps  of  Guil- 
ford, Nathaniel  Harman  of  Poultney,  Joseph  Reed  of 
Montpelier,  Alvan  Foote  of  Burlington,  Robert  Harvey 
of  Barnet,  Elisha  H.  Starkweather  of  Irasburg,  Joseph 
Smith  of  Berkshire,  David  Hibbard,  Jr.,  of  Concord, 
Samuel  W.  Porter  of  Springfield  and  William  Hebard 
of  Randolph.  This  convention  continued  for  three  days. 
A  second  convention  was  held  October  15-24,  1834,  and 
a  third,  January  7-16,  1835.  Among  the  recommenda- 
tions were  proposals  of  amendment  to  elect  Supreme 
Court  Judges  for  seven  years,  subject  to  removal  by 
two-thirds  of  the  Legislature;  to  create  a  Senate;  to 
make  population  the  basis  of  representation;  to  abolish 
the  Council  of  Censors,  submitting  proposals  of  amend- 
ment directly  to  the  people;  to  provide  for  the  election 
of  all  county  officials  by  jiopular  vote ;  to  limit  the  num- 
ber of  Justices  of  the  Peace  in  each  town  to  ten,  who 
might  hold  office  for  three  years  unless  removed. 


THE  EVOLrTIOX   ol-    A   STATE        265 

A  Constituliunal  Cunvciuiuii  was  held  at  Muiitpelier, 
January  6-14,  1836,  and  adopted  twelve  of  the  amend- 
ments proposed.  The  most  important  included  the  aboli- 
tion of  the  Executive  Council  and  the  substitution  of  a 
Senate,  apportioned  according  to  population,  with  power 
to  try  impeachments;  the  vesting  of  executive  power  in 
the  Governor  and  Lieutenant  Governor;  prohibiting  the 
suspension  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  for  any  reason; 
and  providing  for  the  election  of  county  and  probate 
officers.  On  four  previous  occasions,  beginning  in  1792, 
Councils  of  Censors  had  proposed  the  establishment  of  a 
Senate,  but  each  time  the  proposal  had  been  rejected.  In 
the  convention  of  1836  the  amendment  was  advocated 
with  great  earnestness  by  Judge  Daniel  Chipman  and 
was  adopted  by  the  slender  majority  of  three  votes. 

About  this  time  the  party  name  of  Whig  was  sub- 
stituted for  National  Republican.  References  in  Demo- 
cratic newspapers  indicate  an  attempt  on  the  part  of 
Whigs  and  Anti-Masons  to  unite  as  a  single  organiza- 
tion. The  Democratic  candidate  for  Governor,  in  1834, 
was  former  Congressman  William  C.  Bradley.  The 
Whig  candidate  was  Ex-Senator  Horatio  Seymour, 
\vhile  the  Anti-Masons  renominated  Governor  Palmer. 
No  candidate  had  a  majority,  the  vote  being  as  follows : 
Palmer,  18,880;  Bradley,  10,385 ;  Seymour,  10,159;  scat- 
tering, 84.  Governor  Palmer  w^as  reelected  by  the 
Legislature  on  the  first  ballot,  receiving  126  out  of  168 
votes  cast.  Mr.  Seymour  had  declined  to  be  a  candidate 
before  the  joint  assembly  and  it  is  not  impossible  that 
Mr.  Bradley  had  made  a  similar  announcement.  There 
were  unmistakable  indications  of  an  early  dissolution 


266  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

of  the  Anti-Masonic  party,  and  both  the  Whig  and  the 
Democratic  parties  sought  to  receive  an  accession  of 
strength  as  a  result  of  the  collapse.  This  will  explain 
the  lack  of  opposition  to  Governor  Palmer's  reelection. 
Ebenezer  N.  Briggs  of  Salisbury  was  elected  Speaker. 

In  his  inaugural  address,  Governor  Palmer  made  a 
cautious  reference  to  the  controversy  over  the  United 
States  Bank.  He  did  not  doubt  the  constitutionality  or 
the  necessity  of  such  a  bank  with  proper  powers  and 
restrictions,  but  he  was  opposed  to  a  renewal  of  the  bank 
without  some  modifications  of  its  charter.  Referring  to 
alleged  abuses  and  assumptions  of  power  by  President 
Jackson,  he  declared  that  any  manifestation  of  a  dispo- 
sition on  the  part  of  the  President  to  overstep  the  bounds 
of  the  Constitution  and  laws,  or  to  exceed  his  legal 
authority,  "should  be  met  and  resisted  on  the  threshold, 
as  the  beginning  of  tyranny." 

During  the  legislative  session  of  1834  women  were 
exempted  from  imprisonment  for  debt,  the  Vermont 
Asylum  for  the  Insane  was  incorporated  and  Town 
Clerks  were  requested  to  forward  to  the  Secretary  of 
State  lists  of  insane  persons.  Resolutions  were  adopted 
in  favor  of  protection  to  American  industry,  a  national 
bank,  a  policy  of  internal  improvements,  and  an  equitable 
distribution  of  moneys  received  from  the  sale  of  public 
lands  for  educational  purposes.  The  Legislature  also 
declared  "that  the  Executive  of  the  United  States,  in 
his  late  removal  of  the  public  moneys  from  the  place  of 
custody  established  by  law,  exercised  a  power  not  given 
to  him  by  the  Constitution  or  laws,  1)ut  in  derogation  of 
both,  and  in  his  late  protest  to  the  Senate  of  the  United 


Till-:  K\OLUTlON   OF  A   STATE        267 

States  has  asserted  doctrines  and  claimed  for  himself 
powers,  at  variance  with  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  Con- 
stitution, subversive  of  the  legitimate  authority  of  the 
other  branches  of  the  Government,  and  dangerous  to  the 
liberties  of  the  people."  The  Congressional  delegation 
was  requested  to  use  their  influence  and  their  votes  "to 
maintain  inviolate  the  authority  of  the  legislative  depart- 
ment, and  resist  all  encroachments  upon  its  constitutional 
powers." 

The  Anti-Masonic  members  of  the  Legislature  adopted 
resolutions  declaring  that  the  surrender  of  the  charters 
of  many  Masonic  lodges  furnished  gratifying  evidence 
of  an  advance  toward  the  accomplishment  of  the  purpose 
for  which  the  party  was  organized.  Allusion  was  made 
to  causes  for  alarm  for  the  safety  and  stability  of  Amer- 
ican institutions,  and  President  Jackson's  removal  of  the 
Government  deposits  from  the  United  States  Bank  and 
his  inauguration  of  the  "spoils  system"  in  public 
appointments  were  condemned.  This  declaration  fore- 
shadowed the  early  dissolution  of  the  Anti-Masonic 
party. 

Congressmen  Allen,  Everett,  Hall  and  Slade,  all 
Whigs,  were  reelected,  and  Henry  F.  Janes  was  chosen 
to  succeed  Congressman  Deming,  deceased.  Henry  F. 
Janes  was  born  in  Brimfield,  Mass.,  October  10,  1792, 
and  removed  with  his  parents  to  Calais,  Vt.  He  served 
in  the  War  of  1812,  participating  in  the  battle  of  Platts- 
burg.  He  studied  law  at  Montpelier  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1817,  locating  in  Waterbury  for  the  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  was  Postmaster  at  Waterbury, 
1820-1830,  and  member  of  the  Governor's  Council,  1830- 


268  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

1834.  He  completed  Mr.  Deming's  unexpired  term,  and 
served  in  Congress  until  March,  1837,  having  been  de- 
feated for  reelection  in  1836.  He  was  State  Treasurer 
from  1838  to  1841  and  represented  Waterbury  in  the 
Legislature  in  1854,  in  1861  and  1862.  He  died  June  6, 
1879. 

The  Democratic  National  Convention  assembled  at 
Baltimore  on  May  20,  1835,  nearly  a  year  and  a  half 
before  the  Presidential  election  of  1836.  The  Vermont 
delegates  were  Charles  Linsley,  Nathan  B.  Haswell, 
Winslow  C.  Watson,  Fred  Pettis,  Barnard  Ketchum, 
A.  W.  Hyde  and  Daniel  Baldwin.  The  Vermont  dele- 
gates voted  for  Martin  Van  Buren  for  President  and 
Richard  M.  Johnson  for  Vice  President. 

The  Anti-Masonic  party  in  Vermont  in  1835  renomi- 
nated Governor  Palmer  and  placed  Silas  H.  Jenison  of 
Shoreham  in  nomination  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The 
Democrats  again  nominated  William  C.  Bradley  of 
Westminster.  Some  Whigs  supported  Charles  Paine  of 
Northfield,  but  apparently  many  supported  Governor 
Palmer.  A  Washington  county  coalition  of  Whigs  and 
Anti-Masons  refused  to  support  Governor  Palmer  for 
the  reason  that  his  opposition  to  Martin  Van  Buren  was 
not  considered  sufficiently  vigorous.  This  suspicion 
was  probably  the  cause  of  Governor  Palmer's  defeat. 
The  Burlington  Sentinel  (Democratic)  charged  that 
Anti-Masonry  being  about  to  expire  ( 1835),  its  support- 
ers were  preparing  to  leap  upon  "the  hobby  of  anti- 
slavery."  About  this  time  a  change  was  observed  in  the 
attitude  of  some  Democratic  newspapers  in  Vermont 
toward  slavery.     It  was  declared  absurd  to  suppose  that 


THE  K\"OLLTlUX   OF  A   STATE        2G9 

denunciation  of  slavery  from  this  part  of  the  country 
could  be  of  service  to  the  slaves,  or  aid  in  the  abolition 
of  slavery;  and  reference  was  made  to  the  extreme  sen- 
sitiveness of  "our  Southern  brethren"  on  this  subject. 
The  Sentinel,  on  September  18,  1835,  declared  that  "We 
need  not  go  beyond  the  limits  of  Vermont  to  find  evils 
as  odious  as  that  of  slavery." 

About  November  1,  1835,  while  Rev.  Samuel  J.  May 
was  addressing  an  anti-slavery  meeting  at  Montpelier, 
he  w^as  made  a  target  for  eggs  thrown  through  a  win- 
dow. A  similar  meeting  was  appointed  for  the  follow- 
ing evening.  A  request  was  made  "by  several  gentlemen 
of  Montpelier"  that  Mr.  May  should  not  attempt  to 
speak  but  he  insisted  upon  keeping  his  appointment. 
He  was  prevented  from  making  himself  heard  by  the 
stamping  of  feet  and  hissing,  and  the  meeting  was 
broken  up.  The  Sentinel  attempted  to  condone  the 
offence. 

There  was  no  choice  for  Governor  in  the  fall  election 
of  1835.  The  vote  cast  was  as  follows:  Palmer, 
16,210;  Bradley,  13,254;  Paine,  5,435;  scattering,  54. 
The  entire  Anti-Masonic  Council  ticket  was  supported 
by  the  Whigs  and  was  elected.  A  similar  coalition 
elected  Ebenezer  N.  Briggs  of  Salisbury,  Speaker  over 
D.  A.  A.  Buck  of  Chelsea,  the  Democratic  candidate. 

From  October  9  to  November  2  the  Legislature  in 
frequent  joint  sessions  unsuccessfully  attempted  to  elect 
a  Governor.  Sixty-three  ballots  were  taken,  the  vote  on 
the  last  being:  Palmer,  102;  Bradley,  63;  Paine,  40; 
Jenison,  8.  Then,  on  motion  of  Lyman  Fitch  of  Thet- 
ford,  a  Democratic  member,  by  a  vote  of  113  to  100,  the 


270  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

joint  committee  was  dissolved,  and  Lieutenant  Governor 
Jenison  continued  to  perform  the  duties  of  Governor. 

The  Legislature  of  1835  established  a  new  county, 
named  Lamoille,  taking  from  Orleans  county  the  towns 
of  Eden,  Hyde  Park,  Morristown  and  Wolcott;  from 
Franklin  county,  Belvidere,  Cambridge,  Johnson,  Ster- 
ling and  Waterville;  from  Washington  county,  Stowe 
and  Elmore;  and  from  Chittenden  county,  Mansfield. 
Imprisonment  for  debt  was  abolished.  An  act  was 
passed  to  encourage  the  growing  of  silk  within  the  State, 
and  the  Treasurer  was  authorized  to  pay  a  bounty  of 
ten  cents  for  each  pound  of  cocoons  "raised  or  grown" 
in  Vermont.  Niles  Register  in  January,  1829,  referred 
to  the  growth  of  mulberry  trees  in  Vermont.  Several 
attempts  were  made  to  produce  silk  in  this  State  which 
were  abandoned  in  a  few  years.  Some  silk  actually  was 
produced  between  the  years  1835  and  1845. 

This  session  was  notable  for  its  railroad  legislation. 
Railroad  construction  had  begun  in  other  States,  and  the 
idea  of  speedier  transportation  appealed  strongly  to  the 
people  of  Vermont.  The  Vermont  Central  Railroad 
Company  was  incorporated,  the  route  being  the  same  as 
that  proposed  for  the  Vermont  Railroad  Company,  to 
which  a  charter  was  granted  in  1832.  The  capital  stock 
was  fixed  at  one  million  dollars,  and  John  N.  Pomeroy, 
Timothy  Follett,  John  Peck  and  Luther  Loomis  of  Bur- 
lington, John  Spalding,  Timothy  Hubbard  and  J.  P. 
Miller  of  Montpelier,  Lewis  Lyman  of  Hartford,  Ches- 
ter Baxter  of  Sharon  and  Amplius  Blake  of  Chelsea 
were  appointed  commissioners  to  raise  subscriptions. 


Crmncclicut   River,  Lemineton 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        271 

The  Rutland  and  Connecticut  River  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  to  oi)erate  a  road  "from  some 
suitable  place  in  Rutland,  in  the  direction  of  Ludlow 
and  Cavendish,  to  such  point  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Connecticut  River  as  shall  be  judged  expedient  by  said 
corporation."  The  capital  stock  was  fixed  at  five  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars,  with  power  to  increase  it  to  one 
million  dollars.  The  incorporators  were  Jabez  Proctor, 
Abel  Gilson,  Jr.,  Salmon  F.  Button,  Willard  B.  Johnson, 
Nomlas  Cobb,  Samuel  W.  Proctor,  Abner  Field,  2nd, 
Henry  Hubbard,  Horace  Hall,  S.  D.  Hassam,  George 
Olcott,  Samuel  Crosby,  Thomas  Emerson,  Horace 
Everett,  Allen  Wardner,  Carlos  Coolidge,  Frederick 
Pettis,  Francis  E.  Phelps,  Francis  Kidder,  Francis  K. 
Nichols,  Jonathan  Lawrence,  John  Dunbar,  Henry 
Hodges,  Levi  Firmey,  Reuben  Washburn,  Stephen  Cum- 
mings,  William  Warner  and  Augustus  Haven. 

The  Bennington  and  Brattleboro  Railroad  was  incor- 
ported,  to  operate  from  some  point  on  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  towns  of  Putney,  Dummerston,  Brattle- 
boro or  Vernon,  to  the  State  line  in  Readsboro,  Pownal, 
Bennington,  Shaftsbury,  Arlington  or  Stamford.  The 
capital  stock  was  to  be  five  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
with  the  power  to  increase  it  to  one  million  dollars.  The 
incorporators  were  Francis  Goodhue,  John  Holbrook, 
Jona  D.  Bradley,  Henry  Smith,  Paul  Chase,  John  C. 
Holbrook,  Isaac  Doolittle  and  Pierpont  Isham. 

The  Connecticut  and  Passumpsic  Railroad  Company 
was  granted  a  charter  to  build  from  some  point  on  the 
southern  boundary  of  the  State  up  the  valleys  of  the 
Connecticut  and  Passumpsic  Rivers  to  the  north  line  of 


272  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

the  State  in  the  town  of  Derby  or  Newport.  The 
amount  of  the  capital  stock  was  fixed  at  two  million 
dollars.  The  incorporators  were  Gardner  C.  Hall, 
Epaphro  Seymour,  Phineas  White,  James  Keyes,  Mark 
Richards,  William  Henry,  Henry  T.  Green,  Thomas 
Emerson,  Frederick  Pettis,  Allen  Wardner,  Henry 
Stevens,  Ebenezer  Brewer,  Erastus  Fairbanks,  Huxham 
Paddock,  Ephraim  Chamberlain,  Jr.,  Silas  Houghton, 
Ellis  Cobb,  Harry  Baxter,  Portus  Baxter,  Elijah  Cleve- 
land and  Isaac  Parker.  The  Vergennes  and  Bristol 
Railroad  Company  w^as  also  incorporated,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

In  response  to  petitions  from  the  Society  of  Friends 
or  Quakers,  a  resolution  was  reported  asking  the  Con- 
gressional delegation  to  vote  for  the  abolition  of  slavery 
in  the  District  of  Columbia,  but  owing  to  political  in- 
fluences it  was  dismissed  by  a  vote  of  86  to  34. 

The  dividends  of  Vermont  from  the  proceeds  of  the 
sales  of  public  lands  during  the  years  1833-1835 
amounted  to  $433,713. 

In  his  annual  message,  delivered  at  the  opening  of 
Congress,  in  December,  1835,  President  Jackson  con- 
demned the  circulation  in  the  South  of  "inflammatory 
appeals,  addressed  to  the  passions  of  the  slaves";  and 
suggested  the  propriety  of  passing  an  act  which  would 
prohibit  under  severe  penalties,  the  circulation  through 
the  mails  in  the  Southern  States  "of  incendiary  publica- 
tions intended  to  instigate  the  slaves  to  insurrection." 
Mr.  Hall  of  Vermont,  on  March  25,  1836,  asked  leave  to 
present  a  minority  report  from  the  Committee  on  Post- 
Offices  and  Post-Roads,  to  which  the  above  mentioned 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        273 

portion  of  the  President's  message  had  been  referred. 
A  majority  of  the  committee  had  approved  the  ex- 
pediency of  such  legislation,  but  had  been  unable  to  agree 
ui)on  a  measure.  The  minority  members,  for  whom 
Mr.  Hall  spoke,  believed  that  Congress  "possessed  no 
constitutional  power  to  pass  any  law  on  the  subject," 
and  asked  to  have  a  statement  of  their  views  printed. 
Objection  was  made  and  the  House  refused  to  suspend 
the  rules  and  agree  to  the  motion.  Mr.  Slade  of  Ver- 
mont sought  to  amend  the  bill  admitting  the  Territory 
of  Arkansas  to  Statehood  by  requiring  the  amendment  of 
its  constitution  so  that  the  Legislature  should  not  be 
]jrohibited  from  passing  laws  permitting  the  emancipa- 
tion of  slaves  unless  the  owners  gave  them  consent.  The 
amendment  was  rejected. 

Mr.  Pinckney  of  South  Carolina,  from  the  select  com- 
mittee to  which  was  referred  memorials  favoring  the 
abolition  of  slavery,  on  May  25,  1836,  reported  a  series 
of  resolutions  to  the  House.  The  first  declared  that 
Congress  had  no  constitutional  authority  to  interfere 
with  slavery  in  any  "of  the  States  of  the  Confederacy." 
It  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  182  to  9,  and  three  of  the 
nine  negative  votes  were  cast  by  Messrs.  Everett,  Janes 
and  Slade,  \''ermont  Congressmen.  John  Quincy 
Adams  also  voted  nay.  Messrs.  Allen  and  Hall  of  \^er- 
mont  voted  yea.  On  the  second  resolution,  declaring 
that  Congress  ought  not  to  interfere  with  slavery  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  all  the  Vermont  Congressmen 
voted  nay,  but  it  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  132  to  45. 
Similar  action  was  taken  by  the  Vermont  Congressmen 
on   the   third   resolution,    providing   that    all    petitions, 


274  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

memorials,  resolutions,  etc.,  relating  to  slavery  or  its 
abolition,  without  being  printed  or  referred,  should  be 
laid  upon  the  table,  and  no  further  action  taken,  but  this 
resolution  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  117  to  68. 

The  Anti-Masonic  organization  was  still  in  existence 
in  Vermont  in  1836,  and  toward  the  end  of  February 
both  Anti-Masonic  and  Whig  conventions  were  held  at 
Montpelier  and  endorsed  Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison 
as  a  Presidential  candidate.  Lieut.  Gov.  Silas  H.  Jeni- 
son.  Acting  Governor,  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
Anti-Masonic  State  ticket,  and  his  nomination  was  in- 
dorsed by  the  Whig  convention.  Jenison  was  elected  by 
a  small  majority,  receiving  20,471  votes,  while  William 
C.  Bradley,  the  Democratic  candidate,  received  16,124, 
and  there  were  35  scattering  votes.  It  is  evident  that 
the  Whig  party  did  not  capture  all  the  Anti-Masonic 
strength,  for,  although  the  Whigs  were  in  the  ascend- 
ancy in  the  State  as  long  as  the  party  was  an  active 
force,  the  Democratic  party  was  a  rather  close  second 
until  an  Anti-slavery  organization  became  a  power  to 
be  reckoned  with  in  Vermont  politics. 

Silas  H.  Jenison  was  born  in  Shoreham,  Vt.,  May  17, 
1791,  being  the  first  native  of  Vermont  to  hold  that  office. 
His  father  died  in  his  infancy  and  his  services  were  re- 
quired on  the  home  farm  so  that  he  was  able  to  obtain 
only  a  common  school  education.  Later  he  secured  the 
services  of  a  tutor  and  acquired  a  knowledge  of  Latin 
and  French,  mathematics  and  surveying.  He  repre- 
sented Shoreham  in  the  Legislatures  of  1826  and  1830 
inclusive,  was  Judge  of  Addison  County  Court,  182^) 
to  1835,  and  was  elected  Lieutenant  Governor  in  1834 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        275 

and  again  in  1835.  During  the  last  named  year  he  was 
Acting  Governor,  and  he  held  the  office  of  Governor 
until  1846,  when  he  declined  reelection.  He  served  as 
Judge  of  Probate,  1841-1847  and  was  a  delegate  to  the 
Constitutional  Convention  of  1843.  Governor  Jenison 
was  noted  for  his  sound  common  sense,  his  fearlessness 
and  his  faithfulness  in  the  performance  of  his  duty.  He 
died  on  September  30,  1849. 

Carlos  Coolidge,  the  Whig  candidate  for  Speaker,  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  thirty-seven.  In  his  message 
to  the  Legislature  Governor  Jenison  suggested  that  the 
State  make  surveys  of  possible  transportation  routes,  re- 
ferring to  the  desire  that  railroad  lines  should  be  built. 

A  surplus  having  accumulated  in  the  United  States 
Treasury  from  the  sale  of  public  lands  and  from  other 
sources,  an  act  of  Congress,  passed  in  1836,  provided 
that  all  money  in  the  Treasury  on  January  1,  1837,  the 
sum. of  five  million  dollars  excepted,  should  be  deposited 
with  the  several  States  in  proportion  to  their  respective 
representation  in  Congress,  if  the  States  authorized  a 
competent  person  to  receive  the  money  and  the  faith  of 
the  State  should  be  pledged  to  return  the  deposit  if  re- 
quired. The  Vermont  Legislature,  in  the  autumn  of 
1836,  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  State  Treasurer  to 
receive  the  State's  share  of  the  deposit  money,  so- 
called  ;  and  towns  were  authorized  to  appoint  three  trus- 
tees each  to  receive  and  manage  such  a  fund,  which  was 
to  be  apportioned  according  to  population  and  used  for 
the  benefit  of  the  public  schools.  If  the  town  funds 
were  sufficient  for  the  suitable  maintenance  of  its  schools 
for  six  months  each  year,   then  the  income  could  be 


276  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

used  in  other  ways  as  a  town  might  direct.  This  fund 
was  to  be  redistributed  every  ten  years  following  an  an- 
nouncement of  the  population  by  the  Census  Depart- 
ment.    Vermont's  share  of  the  fund  was  $669,086.74. 

A  law  passed  at  this  session  declared  circus  riding, 
theatrical  exhibitions,  juggling,  sleight  of  hand,  ventrilo- 
quism and  magic  arts,  to  be  public  nuisances.  Numer- 
ous industrial  corporations  were  chartered,  including 
the  Beet  Root  Sugar  Manufacturing  Company  of 
Enosburg. 

Resolutions  were  adopted  declaring  "That  neither 
Congress  nor  the  State  governments  have  any  constitu- 
tional right  to  abridge  the  free  expression  of  opinions,  or 
the  transmission  of  them  through  the  public  mails ;  and 
that  Congress  do  possess  the  power  to  abolish  slavery 
and  the  slave  trade  in  the  District  of  Columbia."  The 
Governor  was  directed  to  transmit  copies  of  these  reso- 
lutions to  the  Vermont  Senators  and  Representatives  in 
Congress  and  to  the  Governor  of  each  State. 

This  was  the  first  Legislature  in  which  a  Senate  was 
part  of  the  law^-making  body,  and  among  its  members 
\vere  Orsamus  C.  Merrill,  a  former  Congressman; 
Nathan  Smilie,  several  times  an  unsuccessful  candidate 
for  Governor ;  William  A.  Palmer,  former  Governor  and 
United  States  Senator;  and  Julius  Converse,  a  future 
Governor.  When  the  first  session  of  the  Senate  was 
opened,  the  members  were  sworn  in  by  a  Washington 
county  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Paul  Dillingham,  Jr.,  after- 
ward a  Governor  of  the  State.  Ebenezer  N.  Briggs  of 
Salisbury  was  elected  President  Pro  Tern  and  Robert 
Pierpont  of  Rutland,  also  a  member  of  the  Senate,  was 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A   STATE        277 

elected  Temporary  Secretary.  Samuel  Prentiss  was 
reelected  United  States  Senator,  receiving  130  votes. 
William  C.  Bradley,  the  Democratic  candidate,  received 
94  votes  and  the  scattering  votes  numbered  27. 

Three  Whig  Congressmen,  Heman  Allen,  Hiland 
Hall  and  William  Slade,  were  reelected  by  substantial 
majorities,  Mr.  Allen's  opponent  being  Cornelius  P. 
Van  Ness.  There  was  no  election  in  the  district  repre- 
sented by  Mr.  Everett  (Whig),  but  he  was  chosen  at  a 
special  election.  One  Democratic  member,  Isaac 
Fletcher  of  Lyndon,  was  elected  as  a  result  of  a  coalition 
with  Anti-Masonic  voters,  receiving  a  majority  of  393. 
Mr.  Fletcher  was  born  at  Dunstable,  Mass.,  November 
22,  1784.  He  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in 
the  class  of  1808,  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Lyndon.  He 
represented  the  town  in  the  Legislature  in  1819,  1820, 
1822  and  1824,  serving  one  term  as  Speaker.  He  was 
State's  Attorney  of  Caledonia  county,  1820-1828, 
member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1822,  and 
Adjutant  General  on  the  stafif  of  Governor  Van  Ness. 
He  served  two  terms  in  Congress  and  died  October  19, 
1842. 

Vermont's  Presidential  vote  in  1836  was:  Harrison 
(Whig),  20,994;  Van  Buren  (Democratic),  14,037. 
The  Presidential  Electors  chosen  w^ere  Jabez  Proctor  of 
Cavendish,  Timothy  Howe,  Samuel  Swift  of  Middle- 
bury,  Titus  Hutchinson  of  Woodstock,  David  Crawford 
of  Putney,  William  A.  Griswold  of  Burlington  and 
Edward  Lamb  of  Montpelier.  Vermont's  electoral  vote 
was  cast  for  William  H.  Harrison  and  Francis  Granger. 


278  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

During  this  period  the  emigration  to  the  West  was 
large  and  the  town  of  Vermontville,  Mich.,  was  estab- 
lished in  May,  1836.  In  the  fall  of  1835,  Rev.  Sylvester 
Cochrane  of  East  Poultney  went  out  to  Michigan,  looked 
over  the  region,  returned  to  Vermont  and  organized  a 
colony.  A  constitution  and  code  of  laws  were  adopted 
on  March  27 ,  1836,  to  which  the  signatures  of  forty-two 
persons  were  attached.  Twenty-two  of  the  signers  be- 
came residents  of  the  new  settlement.  Two  members 
were  sent  in  advance  to  Michigan,  and  after  exploring 
the  country,  selected  a  site  and  laid  out  a  village.  A 
Congregational  church  was  organized  and  a  school  was 
established.  The  colonists  included  ten  farmers,  one 
clergyman,  one  physician,  one  surveyor,  one  merchant, 
one  blacksmith,  one  machinist,  one  printer,  one  cabinet 
maker  and  one  cooper.  The  Vermont  towns  represented 
included  Bennington,  Benson,  Brandon,  Castleton,  Dor- 
set, New  Haven,  Orwell,  Poultney,  Sudbury,  West 
Haven  and  West  Rutland. 

Ezra  Meech  and  six  other  Vermont  Democrats,  at  a 
meeting  held  in  Burlington,  April  21,  1837,  invited  Sen- 
ator Silas  Wright  of  New  York  to  visit  that  town  and 
accept  a  public  dinner.  Attention  was  called  to  the  fact 
that  a  majority  of  the  people  of  the  State  were  opposed 
to  the  Jackson  administration.  Silas  Wright  had  spent 
his  boyhood  in  Vermont  and  was  a  graduate  of  Middle- 
bury  College.  At  that  time  he  was  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  Democratic  party  of  the  Nation.  He  had  been 
a  close  friend  of  President  Jackson,  an  influential  mem- 
ber of  the  Finance  Committee,  and  a  Democratic  leader 
in  the  Senate.     Although  he  did  not  accept  the  invitation 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        279 

he  replied  in  a  long  letter  which  gave  an  excellent  out- 
line of  political  conditions  and  opinions  in  Vermont  and 
in  the  country  at  large.  He  referred  to  the  fact  that  his 
early  life  had  been  spent  in  this  State  and  that  his  parents 
and  all  his  brothers  and  sisters  still  resided  here.  When 
he  left  Vermont  in  1815  the  State  was  overwhelmingly 
Democratic.  Political  controversy  ceased  for  several 
years  following  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  and, 
according  to  this  letter,  strife  over  national  questions 
was  not  resumed  until  1823-1824.  In  his  opinion  local 
feeling  and  sectional  prejudice  had  induced  Vermonters 
to  support  a  New  England  candidate  in  the  person  of 
John  Quincy  Adams.  Then  followed  the  excitement  of 
Anti-Masonry.  He  had  hoped  that  Vermont  w^ould 
support  President  Jackson,  but  it  had  not  done  so,  and 
even  with  a  Northern  President  (Van  Buren)  it  was 
still  in  opposition.  His  hope  that  the  State  would  return 
to  its  former  political  affiliations  was  not  entertained 
as  confidently  as  it  had  been  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Jackson  administration.  He  feared  that  the  distrac- 
tions of  Anti-Masonry,  which  had  served  to  divide  the 
people  of  the  State  during  the  preceding  administration, 
would  be  succeeded  "by  some  other  exciting  topic  or 
political  hobby,  like  Anti-Slavery  or  modern  Abolition- 
ism." His  interest  in  the  return  of  Vermont  to  the 
Democratic  faith,  however,  was  very  keen. 

Both  candidates  for  Governor  nominated  in  1836 
were  renominated  in  1837,  and  Jenison  was  reelected,  re- 
ceiving 22,260  votes.  The  Democratic  candidate,  Wil- 
liam C.  Bradley,  received  17,730  votes  and  eight  scatter- 
ins:  votes  were  cast.      Solomon  Foot  of  Rutland  was 


280  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

elected  Speaker  over  John  Smith  of  St.  Albans  by  a  vote 
of  113  to  93,  ten  scattering  votes  being  cast. 

At  this  time  the  country  was  suffering  from  the  effects 
of  a  severe  panic.  Business  was  crippled  and  failures 
were  numerous.  An  insect  pest  had  seriously  damaged 
the  wheat  crop  and  large  shipments  of  wheat  had  been 
imported  from  Europe.  The  Whigs  asserted  that  the 
panic  was  due  to  the  removal  of  deposits  from  Eastern 
to  Western  banks,  permitting  speculation  in  govern- 
ment lands  on  a  large  scale,  and  to  the  abolition  of  the 
National  Bank.  In  his  annual  message  Governor  Jeni- 
son  referred  to  ''the  peculiarly  embarrassing  circum- 
stances which  have  been  operating  upon  the  currency 
and  business  of  the  country  for  a  few  months  past." 
The  Governor  had  been  urged  to  call  the  Legislature  in 
special  session;  but  as  it  was  his  opinion  that  "the  un- 
wise and  unauthorized  measures  of  the  late  Executive 
of  the  General  Government  (President  Jackson)  had 
been  the  primary  cause  of  producing  the  disastrous  state 
of  our  monetary  aft'airs,"  he  did  not  believe  a  legislative 
session  could  cure  a  national  evil.  He  believed  that  the 
suspension  of  specie  payments  by  the  banks,  a  policy  fol- 
lowed in  many  other  States,  had  rendered  them  liable 
to  forfeiture  of  their  charters.  He  saw  in  the  condi- 
tion of  affairs  an  argument  for  greater  tariff'  protection. 

A  new  militia  law  was  enacted,  also  an  act  directing 
the  sorting  and  packing  of  beef  for  exportation.  A 
State  flag  was  established,  consisting  of  thirteen  stripes, 
alternate  red  and  white,  with  one  large  star,  white  on  a 
blue  field,  bearing  the  State  coat  of  arms  thereon. 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  STATE        281 

Late  in  the  year  1837  there  was  an  uprising  in  Canada 
against  British  authority,  which  aroused  much  sympathy 
along  the  American  border,  particularly  in  V^ermont. 
The  War  of  1812  was  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of  many 
citizens  and  the  events  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle 
were  familiar  to  every  school  lx)y.  Hostility  to  Great 
Britain  was  strong.  Naturally  the  revolt  of  Canadians 
against  what  they  considered  oppression  and  misrule 
aroused  a  keen  desire  that  the  people  across  the  border 
might  win  their  independence.  A  largely  attended  meet- 
ing of  Canadians  was  held  at  St.  Charles,  Que.,  on 
October  27i  and  24,  which  adopted  resolutions  declaring 
their  grievances.  At  the  same  place,  on  November  25,  a 
battle  was  fought  in  which  the  Canadians  were  defeated. 
A  considerable  number  of  the  revolutionary  force  fled 
across  the  border,  finding  refuge  in  Swanton,  Highgate 
and  other  \^ermont  towns.  These  refugees  feared  ar- 
rest on  a  charge  of  high  treason  if  they  remained  in 
Canada.  Leaders  of  the  anti-British  movement  also 
assembled  at  Swanton,  including  L.  J.  Papineau,  whose 
name  sometimes  has  been  given  to  the  uprising.  A  party 
of  about  two  hundred  Canadians  left  Swanton  on  Decem- 
ber 6,  where  they  had  been  armed  and  equipped,  although 
their  arms  and  ammunition  were  of  an  inferior  quality, 
with  the  intention  of  crossing  the  boundary  line. 
Learning  that  a  force  of  British  Loyalists  had  assembled 
to  resist  their  advance,  they  took  a  dififerent  route  from 
the  one  originally  chosen,  and  proceeded  by  way  of 
Moore's  Corner.  The  Loyalists,  however,  had  learned 
the  change  of  plans  and  laid  an  ambuscade.  About  ten 
o'clock  at  night  the  invading  party  w^as  attacked,  and 


282  HISTORY   OF   \'ERMOXT 

after  a  contest  lasting  twenty  minutes,  the  Cana- 
dian rebels  were  defeated,  with  a  loss  of  one  man  killed 
and  several  men  wounded.  The  invaders  retired  across 
the  line  toward  Swanton. 

Great  excitement  followed  this  skirmish.  Public 
opinion  along  the  northern  border  was  almost  unani- 
mously in  favor  of  the  revolting  Canadians  or  Patriots, 
as  they  were  called,  while  the  Loyalist  element  in 
Canada  expressed  indignation  because  aid  and  comfort 
were  given  to  the  rebels  by  American  citizens.  Emis- 
saries appeared  in  various  \'ermont  towns  seeking  to 
collect  funds  to  aid  the  "Patriots."  Reports  were  cur- 
rent that  armed  r>ritish  guards  had  crossed  the  \>r- 
mont  border;  that  threats  of  court  martial  had  been 
uttered  for  acts  done  and  opinions  expressed  by  \'ermont 
citizens;  that  attempts  would  be  made  to  kidnap  Cana- 
dian rebels  who  had  crossed  the  border  for  safety;  and 
that  threats  had  been  made  by  Loyalists  at  St.  Armand 
and  Missisquoi  Bay  to  burn  the  villages  of  Swanton  and 
St.  Albans. 

A  letter  was  sent  to  Governor  Jenison,  on  December 
12.  signed  by  President  Wlieeler,  and  Professors  Joseph 
Torrev.  James  ^Larsh,  G.  W.  Benedict  and  F.  X.  Benedict 
of  the  L'niversity  of  \'ermont.  and  by  Harry  and  Joseph 
Bradlev,  Charles  Adams,  Luther  and  Horace  Loomis 
and  other  prominent  citizens  of  Burlington,  protesting 
against  the  "evil  example  and  mischievous  tendency"  of 
a  portion  of  the  press  and  many  citizens  in  openly  taking 
the  part  of  the  Canadians  who  hatl  revolted  against 
British  rule.  It  appears  from  this  letter  that  contribu- 
tions   had    been     solicited    in    aid    (->f    the    Canadian 


THE  EVOLUTIOxN   OF  A  STATE        283 

'"I'atriots,"  public  meetings  in  their  behalf  had  been 
held,  and  it  was  commonly  reported  that  arms  and 
ammunition  had  l)een  furnished.  Caution  was  urged 
in  sui)porting  the  revolution.  The  danger  of  border 
warfare  was  pointed  out  and  it  was  suggested  that  any 
interference  in  Canadian  affairs  "must  inevitably  pro- 
duce serious  mischief." 

On  the  following  day,  December  13,  Governor  Jenison 
issued  a  proclamation  calling  for  the  preservation  of 
order  on  the  northern  border.  He  referred  to  the  fact 
that  the  United  States  was  at  peace  with  Great  Britain, 
that  the  fiu'nishing  of  arms  and  the  organization  of  hos- 
tile forces  within  the  State  constituted  a  breach  of 
neutrality,  and  cautioned  the  people  of  Vermont 
"against  all  acts  that  may  subject  them  to  penalties,  or 
in  any  way  compromise  the  Government." 

The  letter  sent  to  Governor  Jenison  by  the  Burlington 
citizens  mentioned  called  forth  bitter  attacks  from  a  por- 
tion of  the  State  press.  A  public  meeting  was  held  at 
the  Court  House  in  Burlington,  on  December  16,  and 
resolutions  were  adopted  expressing  sympathy  for  the 
Canadian  refugees.  A  largely  attended  meeting  was 
held  at  Middlebury,  on  December  31,  which  was  attended 
by  many  of  the  Canadian  "Patriots,"  including  their 
leader,  Papineau,  who  had  found  refuge  in  Albany, 
N.  Y.  It  was  decided  again  to  take  the  field  under  ex- 
perienced officers.  A  Franklin  county  meeting,  called  at 
St.  Albans,  on  January  5,  1838,  to  consider  the  state  of 
the  frontier  and  to  petition  Congress  to  repeal  the 
neutrality  law^s,  was  attended  by  two  thousand  persons. 
During  the  progress  of   this   meeting.   Gen.    Winfield 


284  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Scott,  who  with  General  Wool  and  General  Brady  had 
been  ordered  to  the  frontier  by  President  Van  Buren, 
arrived  at  St.  Albans.  A  committee  waited  upon  Gen- 
eral Scott  and  invited  him  to  speak.  He  accepted  and 
urged  that  the  neutrality  laws  be  observed,  but  the  meet- 
ing was  in  no  mood  for  such  advice  and  resolutions  were 
adopted  declaring: 

"That  as  friends  of  human  liberty  and  human  rights 
we  cannot  restrain  the  expression  of  our  sympathy  when 
we  behold  an  oppressed  and  heroic  people  unfurl  the 
banner  of  freedom. 

"Resolved,  That  we  hope  that  the  time  will  come  when 
the  bayonet  shall  fail  to  sustain  the  last  relic  of  royalty 
w^hich  now  lingers  on  the  Western  Continent. 

"Resolved,  That  it  is  the  duty  of  every  independent 
American  to  aid  in  every  possible  manner  consistent 
with  our  laws,  the  exertions  of  the  Patriots  in  Lower 
Canada  against  the  tyranny,  oppression  and  misrule  of 
a  despotic  government."  Similar  meetings  were  held 
in  Montpelier,  Vergennes,  Essex,  Cambridge,  Johnson, 
Swanton  and  elsewhere. 

Soon  after  the  Middlebury  meeting,  Papineau  learned 
that  the  aid  he  had  expected  would  not  be  forthcoming, 
and  his  activities  ceased.  General  Wool,  like  General 
Scott,  afterward  a  prominent  commander  in  the  Mexi- 
can War,  was  instructed  to  act  with  the  Governor  of 
Vermont,  and  under  his  direction,  in  maintaining  order 
on  the  frontier.  Dr.  Robert  Nelson,  who  had  been  mak- 
ing his  headquarters  in  St.  Albans  and  Swanton,  suc- 
ceeded Papineau  as  the  leader  of  the  Canadian 
"Patriots"  in  Vermont.     Meanwhile  the  authorities  had 


THE  EVOLUTION   OF  A  STATE        285 

been  vigilant.  A  company  of  volunteers  was  raised  al 
Svvanton  under  the  direction  of  General  Wool,  although 
there  was  said  to  be  a  tacit  understanding  that  they  were 
not  to  be  actively  employed  against  the  Canadians. 
Troops  were  sent  to  Alburg,  Highgate  and  North  Troy. 
Most  of  the  stores  gathered  for  the  Canadians  were 
seized  and  only  about  one  hundred  men  succeeded  in 
crossing  the  boundary  line  into  Canada.  A  strong 
British  force  appeared  on  March  1  and  the  little  band 
of  "Patriots,"  caught  between  a  body  of  royal  troops  on 
one  side  and  a  force  of  American  soldiers  on  the  other, 
surrender  to  General  Wool.  Doctor  Nelson  and  a 
companion  were  arrested  on  a  charge  of  a  breach  of  the 
neutrality  laws.  They  were  tried  in  the  United  States 
Court  the  following  May  and  were  honorably  discharged. 
The  result  of  the  trial  indicates  the  force  of  public 
opinion  at  the  time. 

The  disturbances  along  the  frontier  continued  as  late 
as  1839.  Governor  Jenison,  in  his  annual  message  in 
1839,  referred  to  the  fact  that  ''the  alleged  cruelty  with 
which  the  (Canadian)  contest  had  been  carried  on  was 
made  the  apology  for  a  system  of  incendiarism  of  the 
most  reckless  and  desperate  character,  on  the  frontier 
between  this  State  and  Canada.  The  design  of  the  per- 
petrators of  those  mutual  acts  of  aggression  was. 
evidently,  to  provoke  and  exasperate  the  public  mind, 
and  thus  bring  on  a  state  of  feeling  between  the  inhabit- 
ants of  two  countries  which  would  ultimately  result  in 
war.  The  continued  succession  of  these  atrocities  from 
December  (1838)  to  April  (1839)  goes  far  to  show  that 
those  engaged  in  them  on  V>oth  sides  of  the  line,  had  this 


286  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

object  in  view.  In  the  progress  of  this  disgraceful 
business  a  number  of  the  unoffending  citizens  of  this 
State  have  been  subjected  to  heavy  losses  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  their  buildings  and  other  property  by  fire." 

Governor  Jenison's  firm  stand  for  the  enforcement  of 
the  neutrality  laws  diminished  his  popularity  for  a  time, 
although  it  did  not  defeat  him.  That  this  condition  of 
aft"airs  did  not  surprise  the  Governor  is  shown  in  his 
message  to  the  Legislature  of  1838.  \\'hile  asserting 
that  he  had  endeavored  to  perform  his  duty,  he  said: 
"Men  of  the  best  feelings  and  much  moral  worth  partici- 
pated largely  in  their  sympathies  with  those  whom  they 
deem  oppressed.  This  state  of  things  was  to  be  ex- 
pected. Our  institutions,  habits  and  education  lead  to 
that  result."  To  this  he  added  the  statement  that  "under 
this  excited  state  of  public  feeling  many  who  were  en- 
trusted wdth  the  discharge  of  official  duties  were  unjustly 
traduced." 

McMaster,  in  his  ''History  of  the  United  States," 
refers  to  a  secret  oath  bound  organization,  called  the 
Hunters,  with  lodges  along  the  border  from  \'ermont  to 
Michigan,  the  members  of  which  were  pledged  to  "com- 
bat and  help  to  destroy  every  power  of  royal  origin  on 
our  continent,  and  never  to  rest  until  all  British  tyrants 
ceased  to  have  any  dominion  in  North  America."  An 
invasion  of  Canada  was  planned,  but  the  watchfulness 
of  Government  officials  prevented  the  carrying  out  of  the 
project. 


CiTAPTKR   XXXII 

THE  GROWING   HATRED  OF  SLAVERY 


FOR  a  quarter  of  a  century  preceding  the  Civil  War, 
the  outstanding  feature  of  Vermont's  attitude 
toward  the  great  public  issues  of  that  period  was 
a  hatred  of  slavery,  which  steadily  grew  more  intense. 
This  sentiment  was  due  to  no  sudden  emotion,  nor  was  it 
the  result  of  agitation.  Vermonters  followed  closely 
the  political  developments  of  the  time,  and  they  recog- 
nized the  danger  which  threatened  the  Nation.  Indi- 
vidual freedom  was  one  of  the  fundamental  principles 
of  the  Green  Mountain  commonwealth.  Vermont  had 
been  the  first  State  to  forbid  slavery  in  its  Constitution. 
The  love  of  liberty,  characteristic  of  mountain  peoples, 
found  a  full  and  free  expression  among  the  Green 
Mountains.  The  founders  of  the  State  were  men  who 
had  been  willing  to  contend  against  tremendous  odds  to 
secure  their  just  rights,  and  they  were  ready  to  uphold 
the  cause  of  freedom  for  the  oppressed  everywhere. 

Vermont  was  largely  an  agricultural  State  and  her 
people  owned  and  cultivated  their  own  small  farms. 
Although  there  were  few  radical  Abolitionists  in  Ver- 
mont during  the  late  Thirties,  the  people  as  a  whole  were 
determined  in  their  influence  in  checking  the  further  ex- 
tension of  slavery  wherever  and  whenever  such  action 
was  possible. 

The  attempt  made  in  Congress  to  prevent  the  discus- 
sion of  topics  relating  to  slavery,  the  action  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  in  ordering  that  all  petitions  and 
memorials  relating  to  that  subject  should  be  laid  upon 
the  table  without  being  printed  or  referred,  and  the  agita- 
tion in  favor  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  aroused  a 
strong  feeling  of  resentment  throughout  the  North,  and 


29U  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

nowhere  was  it  stronger  than  in  Vermont.  When  the 
Legislature  convened  in  1837,  many  petitions  were  re- 
ceived from  citizens  in  all  parts  of  the  State  asking  that 
body  to  give  voice  to  their  protests  against  the  proposed 
annexation  of  Texas.  These  petitions  and  protests 
were  referred  to  a  special  committee,  which  made  a  re- 
port, signed  by  W.  W.  Ranney  and  Milton  Brown,  in 
which  reference  was  made  to  the  annexation  of  Louisi- 
ana and  Florida  as  an  "assumption  of  power  on  the  part 
of  the  Government  with  which  the  Constitution  did  not 
clothe  that  body."  Attention  was  called  to  the  fact  that 
Mexico  had  abolished  slavery  and  that  it  had  been  re- 
established when  Texas  set  up  an  independent  govern- 
ment. The  report  continued:  "Against  every  form  of 
oppression  the  people  of  Vermont  have,  at  all  times, 
borne  honorable  testimony.  In  their  Constitution  they 
have  published  to  the  world  their  everlasting  opposition 
to  all  slavery — even  down  to  the  minutest  and  least  re- 
volting of  its  modifications.  It  would,  then,  be  incon- 
sistent in  Vermont — it  would  prove  that  she  had  some- 
what cooled  in  fervor  of  her  love  for  liberty — should  she 
consent  to  be  drawn  into  close  and  fraternal  bonds  with 
a  people  who,  beyond  any  yet  known  in  modern  times, 
have  made  the  most  deliberate  and  heartless  assault  on 
human  freedom." 

Reference  is  also  made  to  "fearful  sacrifices  of  impor- 
tant interests  by  the  North,  demanded  by  the  South  to  be 
offered  up  for  the  security  of  her  peculiar  institution — 
the  surrender  that  she  asks  from  us  of  the  freedom  of 
speech — liberty  of  the  press — the  right  of  petition — All 
these  united  inspire  your  Committee  with  a  well  founded 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   291 

apprehension  that  tlie  additional  weight  which  the  an- 
nexation of  Texas  would  give  to  the  slaveholding  interest 
in  om-  political  organization,  would,  in  all  probability, 
soon  lead  either  to  a  dissolution  of  the  Union  or  to  the 
political  degradation  of  the  Free  States  and  eventually 
to  the  entire  overthrow  of  their  common  liberties." 

Following  the  presentation  of  this  report  the  follow- 
ing resolutions  were  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  representing  as  we  do  the  people  of 
Vermont,  we  do  hereby,  in  their  name,  solemnly  protest 
against  such  annexation  (of  Texas)  in  any  form. 

"Resolved,  That  as  the  representatives  of  the  people 
of  Vermont  we  do  solemnly  protest  against  the  admis- 
sion into  the  Union  of  any  State  whose  Constitution 
tolerates  domestic  slavery."  Vermont  Senators  and 
Representatives  were  asked  to  use  their  influence  to  pre- 
vent the  annexation  of  Texas. 

As  soon  as  Congress  convened  in  December,  1837, 
petitions  began  to  pour  in  praying  for  the  abolition  of 
slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia  and  opposing  the 
annexation  of  Texas.  Henry  Clay  opposed  the  attempt 
to  suppress  these  petitions,  but  John  C.  Calhoun  of  South 
Carolina  did  not  favor  yielding  an  inch  to  "the  increas- 
ing spirit  of  fanaticism."  Senator  Swift  presented  the 
memorial  and  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Vermont  Legis- 
lature relative  to  slavery  and  the  annexation  of  Texas 
on  December  18,  1837,  and  moved  that  they  be  printed 
and  laid  on  the  table.  The  document  was  read  and  Sen- 
ator King  of  Alabama  characterized  it  as  an  infamous 
libel  on,  and  an  insult  to,  the  South.  As  it  came  from  a 
State  he  would  not  have  objected  to  laying  it  on  the  table 


292  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

if  it  had  been  couched  in  proper  terms.  Senator  Swift 
declared  that  the  petitioners  were  not  the  miserable 
fanatics  that  the  Senator  from  South  Carolina  had  sup- 
posed. Few  of  them  were  Abolitionists.  They  were 
among  the  most  intelligent  and  respectable  people  of  their 
communities.  He  continued:  ''Neither  was  it  a  ques- 
tion of  party  in  Vermont;  but  men  of  all  parties  were 
engaged  on  this  subject  and  on  this  subject  they  could 
unite."  He  believed  that  if  the  petitions  could  have  been 
referred  to  the  Committee  on  the  District  of  Columbia, 
as  in  former  years,  the  excitement  in  a  great  measure 
would  have  been  allayed. 

Senator  Calhoun  considered  the  present  moment  one 
of  the  deepest  importance.  The  resolutions  were  unex- 
pected. He  had  never  heard  of  their  passage,  yet  he 
might  have  anticipated  as  much.  He  had  long  foreseen 
the  present  state  of  things.  Vermont  had  struck  a  deep 
and  dangerous  blow  into  the  vitals  of  the  Confederacy. 
As  he  was  unprepared  to  act  he  would  move  that  the 
memorial  be  laid  on  the  table,  pledging  himself  not  to 
oppose  the  Senator  from  Vermont  if  he  should  see  fit  to 
call  it  up  later.  Indeed  he  would  be  willing  to  call  it  up 
himself  after  he  had  had  time  to  prepare  for  action  on 
the  subject.  He  observed  that  some  persons  seemed  to 
prefer  the  prevalence  of  this  dangerous  doctrine  to  the 
preservation  and  continuance  of  the  Union.  Senator 
Roane  of  Virginia,  in  the  course  of  the  discussion,  said: 
'Xet  me  inform  that  Senator  (Swift)  and  the  whole 
North  that  the  entire  country  south  of  the  Potomac, 
without  any  regard  whatever  to  party  or  to  anything 
else,  is  as  firmly  united  as  can  possibly  be  the  people  of 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY  293 

X'ermont,  and  will  boldly  face  and  defy  the  storm  of 
abolition,  come  when  and  where  it  may." 

Senator  Prentiss  of  Vermont  ably  supported  his  col- 
league. The  attitude  of  Congress  had  increased  the 
number  of  Abolitionists.  To  the  plain  common  sense 
of  the  people  of  Vermont  the  method  of  procedure  was 
nothing  more  or  less  than  a  refusal  to  receive  petitions. 
The  purpose  of  the  signers  was  to  assert  and  maintain 
the  right  of  petition  and  they  would  persist  in  sending 
petitions  to  Congress  until  the  right  was  fully  recog- 
nized by  treating  them  with  the  same  respect  that  was 
accorded  to  petitions  on  other  subjects. 

Senator  Clay  hoped  that  Mr.  Swift  would  withdraw 
the  memorial  and  introduce  it  later  when  the  Senate 
was  better  prepared  to  act.  Senator  Swift  then  with- 
drew it  but  gave  notice  that  he  would  certainly  present 
it  again,  asserting  that  no  threats  from  any  quarter 
would  prevent  him  from  doing  his  duty  by  his  constitu- 
ents. Senator  King  asked  if  reference  was  made  to 
him  and  Senator  Swift  replied  that  while  he  referred 
to  no  member  in  particular,  threats  had  been  made 
relative  to  the  dissolution  of  the  Union. 

Senator  Calhoun  introduced  a  series  of  resolutions 
on  December  21,  declaring  that  the  intermeddling  of  any 
State  or  States  to  abolish  slavery,  in  the  District  of 
Columbia,  or  in  any  of  the  Territories,  on  the  ground 
that  the  institution  was  immoral  or  sinful,  would  be  a 
dangerous  attack  upon  the  institutions  of  all  the  slave- 
holding  States.  The  resolutions  also  set  forth  Cal- 
houn's views  on  the  sovereignty  of  the  States.  On 
January  16,   1838,  Senator  Swift  again  presented  the 


294  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Vermont  resolutions,  which  were  discussed  by  Calhoun 
and  both  Vermont  Senators  and  were  laid  on  the  table. 
In  a  letter  to  relatives  Calhoun  referred  to  the  Vermont 
resolutions  as  "the  first  move  from  a  State,"  and  "a  new 
and  bold  step,  and  from  a  higher  quarter." 

Prof.  John  W.  Burgess,  in  his  history,  entitled  "The 
Middle  Period,"  referring  to  the  presentation  of  the 
Vermont  petition  by  Senator  Swift,  says:  "This  shaft 
had  struck  Mr.  Calhoun  in  his  most  vulnerable  part. 
Here  was,  according  to  his  own  doctrine,  a  'sovereign 
State'  instructing  its  governmental  agent  for  general 
affairs.  Could  that  agent  refuse  to  receive  the  instruc- 
tions of  one  of  his  principals?  There  certainly  was  no 
precedent  for  any  such  procedure  as  that  in  any  system 
of  jurisprudence  known  to  the  world.  Mr.  Calhoun  rec- 
ognized fully  the  embarrassment  of  his  position.  *  *  * 
The  Southerners  had  been  thrown  into  such  confusion 
by  the  coup  de  surprise  sprung  upon  them  by  the  Ver- 
monters  that  they  had  not  been  able  to  agree  upon  any 
plan  for  meeting  the  exigency.  Some  of  them  de- 
nounced the  action  of  the  Vermont  Legislature  as  in- 
cendiary, outrageous  and  degrading.  *  ^  ^'  It  does 
seem  as  if  this  incident  should  have  taught  Mr.  Cal- 
houn the  fallacy  of  his  logic  in  insisting  upon  the  power 
of  the  Senate  to  refuse  to  receive  a  petition.  Here  was 
a  case  in  which  his  doctrine  of  parliamentary  procedure 
had  absolutelv  broken  down,  according  to  his  own 
acknowledgment.  *  *  *  The  Southerners  were 
helpless,  and  had  not  Mr.  Swift  himself  come  to  the 
rescue,  no  man  can  say  what  would  have  happened." 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY  295 

Vermont's  opposition  to  slavery,  at  the  National 
Capital,  was  not  confined  to  the  Senate.  Few  men  in 
public  life  hated  slavery  more  intensely  than  did  Con- 
gressman William  Slade.  He  had  been  active  in  the 
matter  of  petitions  in  the  session  of  1835-36.  Professor 
Burgess  has  said  that  "upon  him  rather  than  upon  Mr. 
(John  Quincy)  Adams  rests  the  honor  or  the  blame, 
whichever  it  may  be,  of  provoking  the  excitement  over 
the  Abolition  petitions,  and  upholding  the  right  of  peti- 
tion in  the  most  extreme  degree."  Early  in  the  session 
of  1837-38  Mr.  Slade  had  presented  two  memorials  from 
Vermont,  praying  for  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade  in 
the  District  of  Columbia,  accompanied  by  a  motion  that 
they  should  be  referred  to  a  special  committee.  This 
motion  had  been  laid  over  and  on  December  20,  1837, 
it  came  up.  Mr.  Slade  read  one  of  the  memorials  and 
proceeded  to  address  the  House,  criticising  the  course  of 
the  members  relative  to  such  documents  and  charged 
preconcerted  action  in  the  attempt  invariably  made  to 
lay  all  such  motions  on  the  table.  Henry  A.  Wise  of 
\'irginia  denied  the  charge.  As  Mr.  Slade  proceeded, 
he  was  called  to  order  by  the  chair  for  discussing  the 
merits  of  the  memorial  on  a  motion  to  commit.  He 
therefore  modified  his  original  motion  by  adding  the 
words,  *'with  instructions  to  report  a  bill  abolishing 
slavery  within  the  District  of  Columbia."  Mr.  Legare 
of  South  Carolina,  with  great  vehemence,  opposed  the 
opening  of  the  slavery  controversy,  and  implored  the 
member  from  Vermont  "solemnly  to  consider  what  he 
was  doing."  Mr.  Dawson  of  Georgia  twice  asked  for 
the  floor  but  Mr.  Slade  refused  to  yield.     He  was  called 


296  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

to  order  several  times  but  Speaker  James  K.  Polk  sus- 
tained him.  He  quoted  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, and  the  Constitution  of  several  States,  and  was 
about  to  read  a  memorial  of  Benjamin  Franklin  and 
an  opinion  of  James  Madison  on  slavery,  when  objection 
was  made,  and  the  Chair  ruled  that  these  papers  could 
not  be  read  without  permission.  The  objection  was 
withdrawn  and  he  proceeded. 

Mr.  Wise  of  Virginia,  with  much  warmth,  declared: 
''He  has  discussed  the  whole  abstract  question  of  slavery, 
of  slavery  in  Virginia,  of  slavery  in  my  own  district,  and 
I  now  ask  all  my  colleagues  to  retire  with  me  from  this 
hall.  Mr.  Holsey  asked  the  Georgia  delegation  to  take 
similar  action.  The  Speaker  cautioned  Mr.  Slade  that 
discussion  of  slavery  as  it  existed  within  the  States,  was 
not  in  order,  and  as  he  was  about  to  read  another  docu- 
ment he  would  ask  the  House  to  vote  on  the  matter  of 
permitting  him  to  do  so. 

Much  confusion  followed.  Mr.  Rhett  of  Virginia 
urged  the  entire  Southern  delegation  to  meet  forthwith 
in  the  District  of  Columbia  committee  room.  The 
Speaker  defended  his  rulings,  saying  that  his  own  feel- 
ings ought  easily  to  be  conjectured.  He  would  have  re- 
strained the  discussion  if  he  could.  Mr.  Slade  informed 
the  House  that  he  desired  to  read  an  act  of  the  Conti- 
nental Congress.  Mr.  Mackay  of  North  Carolina 
objected,  and  there  were  other  objections,  and  motions 
to  adjourn.  The  venerable  John  Quincy  Adams  de- 
manded the  yeas  and  nays  and  adjournment  was  carried, 
although  most  of  the  seats  of  the  members  from  the 
South  were  vacant. 


GROWING   HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      297 

On  the  following  day  Mr.  Patton  of  Virginia,  chair- 
man of  the  meeting  of  Southern  members  who  had  with- 
drawn from  the  chamber  while  Mr.  Slade  held  the  floor, 
introduced  a  resolution  providing  that  all  petitions, 
memorials  and  papers  referring  to  the  abolition  of 
slavery,  or  the  buying,  selling  or  transferring  of  slaves 
in  any  State,  District  or  Territory  of  the  United  States, 
be  laid  on  the  table  "without  being  debated,  printed,  read, 
or  referred,  and  that  no  further  action  whatever  shall 
be  had  thereon."  After  Mr.  Adams  had  been  sup- 
pressed in  an  attempt  to  discuss  the  subject  the  resolu- 
tion was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  122  to  74,  all  the  Vermont 
members  voting  against  it. 

Schouler,  in  his  "History  of  the  United  States,"  said 
of  this  episode  that  "in  a  two  hours'  speech  he  (Slade) 
raked  the  institution  of  slavery  with  a  merciless  severity 
such  as  that  Chamber  had  never,  perhaps,  experienced 
before.  Wise,  Legare,  Rhett  and  the  other  Southern 
members  were  choking  with  rage."  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  several  of  the  Southern  leaders  who  opposed  Mr. 
Slade  so  violently,  like  the  Vermont  Congressman,  were 
members  of  the  Whig  party.  Professor  Burgess  has 
said:  "It  would  not  be  extravagant  to  say  that  the 
whole  course  of  the  internal  history  of  the  United  States 
from  1836  to  1861  was  more  largely  determined  by  the 
struggle  in  Congress  over  the  Abolition  petitions  and  the 
use  of  the  mails  for  the  distribution  of  the  Abolition 
literature  than  by  anything  else."  The  part  taken  by 
Vermont  in  this  great  contest  through  her  delegation  in 
Congress  was  one  of  much  importance  and  the  names  of 
Swift,  Slade  and  others  are  prominent  in  the  stormy 


298  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

period  when  the  tide  of  opposition  to  slavery  was  steadily 
rising. 

In  January,  1836,  Congressman  Everett,  who  was 
second  in  rank  on  the  Indian  Afifairs  Committee,  and 
prominent  in  the  discussion  of  matters  relating  to  the 
Indians,  presented  a  memorial  from  the  Cherokees  of 
Georgia  protesting  against  the  Treaty  of  1835,  and 
spoke  in  favor  of  the  Indian  position.  During  the  ses- 
sion Mr.  Everett  was  chosen  to  fill  a  vacancy  on  the 
important  Ways  and  Means  Committee.  Senator  Pren- 
tiss introduced  a  bill  to  prohibit  duelling  in  the  District 
of  Columbia,  probably  as  a  direct  result  of  the  duel  be- 
tween Congressmen  Cilley  of  Maine  and  Graves  of  Ken- 
tucky, which  had  just  been  fought,  in  which  the  former 
was  killed.  The  measure  was  supported  by  Henry  Clay 
and  was  passed  by  a  vote  of  34  to  1. 

Governor  Jenison  was  reelected  in  1838,  receiving 
24,738  votes.  The  Democratic  candidate,  William  C. 
Bradley,  received  19,194  votes  and  37  scattering  ballots 
were  cast.  The  Whig  majority  in  the  House  was  in- 
creased from  thirty  in  1837  to  eighty-three.  The  political 
division  of  the  Senate  remained  unchanged  from  the  pre- 
vious year,  twenty  Whigs  and  ten  Democrats.  Con- 
gressmen Everett,  Hall  and  Slade  (Whigs)  were  re- 
elected by  large  majorities.  The  Anti-Masonic-Demo- 
cratic coalition  in  northeastern  Vermont  was  able  to 
reelect  Congressman  Isaac  Fletcher  by  a  little  less  than 
four  hundred  majority.  There  was  no  choice  in  Con- 
gressman Heman  Allen's  district  but  John  Smith  of 
St.  Albans  lacked  only  fifteen  votes  of  an  election.  An- 
other Whig  candidate,  William  P.  Briggs,  drew  a  few 


GROWING   HATRED   OF  SLAVERY      299 

votes  from  Mr.  Allen.  Smith  led  in  a  second  election 
and  later  he  was  chosen  Congressman.  John  Smith  was 
born  in  Barre,  Mass.,  August  12,1789.  The  family 
moved  to  St.  Albans  in  1800,  where  Mr.  Smith  studied 
law  with  Roswell  Hutchins,  his  brother-in-law,  and  later 
with  Benjamin  Swift.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1810  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Swift,  which 
continued  until  the  latter  was  elected  to  Congress.  He 
represented  St.  Albans  in  the  Legislature  from  1827  to 
1833,  and  again  from  1835  to  1837,  inclusive,  serving  as 
Speaker  in  1831,  1832  and  1833.  He  was  State's  Attor- 
ney of  Franklin  county  from  1826  to  1833.  He  served 
one  term  in  Congress.  He  was  very  active  in  the  first 
railroad  development  in  Vermont,  and  to  his  energy  and 
sagacity  was  due,  to  a  considerable  extent,  the  building 
of  the  Vermont  &  Canada  Railroad  and  the  establish- 
ment of  a  connecting  link  between  northern  New  Eng- 
land and  the  Great  Lakes  region.  John  Smith  was  one 
of  the  leading  Vermonters  of  his  time  and  his  family 
has  been  one  of  the  most  prominent  in  the  history  of  the 
Commonwealth.  Gov.  John  Gregory  Smith  and  Con- 
gressman Worthington  C.  Smith  were  his  sons.  He 
died  at  St.  Albans,  November  20,  1858. 

During  the  legislative  session  of  1838,  Samuel  Shethar 
Phelps  of  Middlebury  was  elected  United  States  Senator 
on  the  sixteenth  ballot,  to  succeed  Benjamin  Swift.  The 
vote  in  the  House  was :  Phelps,  107 ;  Heman  Allen,  20; 
Daniel  Kellogg  of  Brattleboro  (Dem.),  76.  In  the  Senate 
Phelps  received  14  votes,  12  being  divided  among  other 
candidates.  Samuel  S.  Phelps  was  born  in  Litchfield, 
Conn.,  the  birthplace  of  Ethan  Allen  and  other  famous 


3(X1  HISTORY   OF   \'ERMOXT 

men,  on  May  13,  17^^3.  He  entered  Yale  College  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  graduating  in  1811,  when  only  eighteen 
years  old.  He  studied  law  for  a  year  and  in  1812  canit 
to  Middlebury,  where  he  entered  the  office  of  Horatio 
Seymour,  also  a  native  of  Litchfield,  Conn.,  who  was  to 
precede  him  in  the  United  States  Senate.  Mr.  Phelps 
served  as  a  common  soldier  during  the  War  of  1812.  at 
Burlington  and  at  Plattsburg,  X.  Y.,  and  later  was 
appointed  a  Paymaster  in  the  army.  He  was  admitted 
to  the  Addison  county  bar  in  1814  and  began  the  prac- 
tice of  law  at  Middlebury.  achieving  a  high  reputation 
m  his  profession.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Council  of 
Censors  in  1827,  and  wrote  the  address  to  the  people  of 
the  State,  in  which  the  establishment  of  a  Senate  was 
recommended.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Execu- 
tive Council  in  1831  and  the  same  year  was  chosen  a 
Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  holding  that  position  until 
he  was  elected  United  States  Senator.  He  served  two 
terms  in  the  Senate,  from  1839  to  1851,  and  in  1853  was 
appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  that  body.  His  eldest  son 
was  Edward  J.  Phelps,  well  known  as  a  lawyer  and 
diplomat.  Senator  Phelps  died  at  Middlebury,  March 
25,  1855,  in  his  sixty-second  year. 

Solomon  Foot  of  Rutland  was  reelected  Speaker  of  the 
House.  In  his  message  to  the  Legislature  Governor 
Jenison  alluded  to  the  remarkable  improvement  in  busi- 
ness affairs  and  referred  to  disturbances  caused  by  the 
Canadian  rebellion.  He  called  attention  to  the  possible 
danger  arising  from  the  activity  of  demagogues  who. 
"under  the  pretence  of  sympathy,  may  urge  for  partici- 
pation in  our  elective  privileges,  those  who  have  sought 


Senator  Jacob  Collamer 


CxROWING    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      301 

an  asylum  among  us,  before  they  shall  be  qualified, 
either  by  length  of  residence  or  attachment  to  our  in- 
stitutions, to  exercise  that  sacred  right." 

During  the  session  imprisonment  for  debt  was 
abolished  and  the  act  providing  for  a  Surveyor  General 
and  county  surveyors  was  repealed.  The  State  Treasurer 
was  authorized  to  pay  a  bounty  of  twenty  cents  for  each 
pound  of  the  cocoons  of  the  silk  worm  grown  within  the 
State,  twenty  cents  for  each  pound  of  raw  silk  reeled 
from  such  cocoons,  and  twenty  cents  for  every  pound 
of  sewing  silk  manufactured  within  the  State.  Five 
mutual  fire  insurance  companies,  the  Vermont  Copperas 
Company  and  the  Vermont  Historical  and  Antiquarian 
Society  were  incorporated.  A  charter  was  granted  to 
the  Lake  Champlain  and  Otter  Creek  Railroad  Company, 
with  a  capital  stock  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  the  road  to  extend  from  Brandon  to  Lake 
Champlain,  with  a  connecting  line  to  Middlebury. 

The  "gag  rule"  of  the  National  House  of  Representa- 
tives, forbidding  the  reading,  printing  or  debating  of  all 
petitions  or  memorials  relating  to  slavery,  was  declared 
to  be  "a  daring  infringement  of  the  right  of  the  people 
to  petition,  and  a  flagrant  violation  of  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States."  The  resolution  continued  as  fol- 
low^s:  "And  we  do,  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  Ver- 
mont, protest  against  the  passage  of  the  same,  or  any 
similar  resolution  by  the  present  or  any  future  Congress 
of  the  United  States."  Members  of  Congress  were 
asked  to  use  their  efiforts  "to  procure  from  the  United 
States  a  grant  of  a  tract  of  land  for  each  of  the  colleges 
in  this  State." 


302  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

In  the  matter  of  committee  assignments  in  Congress, 
Senator  Prentiss  was  second  on  Pensions  and  a  member 
of  the  Public  Lands  Committee.  Senator  Swift  was 
second  on  Militia  and  a  member  of  the  Committee  on 
Indian  Affairs.  In  the  House,  Everett  was  second  on 
Indian  Affairs;  Allen  was  on  Invalid  Pensions  and 
chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Expenditures  in  the 
Treasury  Department;  and  Fletcher  was  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Patents. 

Early  in  January,  1839,  Senator  Prentiss  presented 
resolutions  from  the  Vermont  Legislature  opposing  the 
annexation  of  Texas,  favoring  the  abolition  of  slavery 
and  the  slave  trade  between  the  States  and  Territories, 
and  protesting  against  the  infringement  of  the  right  of 
petition  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  He  presented 
these  as  resolutions  of  instruction  from  a  State  and 
moved  that  they  be  laid  on  the  table  and  printed.  The 
motion  to  lay  on  the  table  was  carried.  In  discussing 
the  resolution  concerning  the  right  of  petition,  he  warned 
"the  gentlemen  of  the  South  that  the  course  which  they 
were  pursuing  was  precisely  the  course  to  increase  the 
number  and  augment  the  strength  of  the  Abolitionists. 
*  *  *  The  idea  of  an  encroachment  on  the  right  of 
petition  had  been  connected  with  the  great  subject  of 
abolition  and  had  communicated  to  it  a  power  not  prop- 
erly its  own ;  so  that  those  who  were  opposed  to  extreme 
and  premature  measures,  and  wished  to  prevent  useless 
excitement  and  agitation,  found  themselves  powerless  in 
consequence  of  this  connection.  And  if  this  course  were 
persevered  in  they  would  be  obliged  to  give  way  entirely." 
Senator  Calhoun  of  South  Carolina  "confessed  that  he 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   803 

was  amazed  to  see  the  Senator  from  Vermont  urging  the 
course  which  he  did ;  and  that  there  should  be  any  gentle- 
man who  could  not  see  that  this  question  was  daily 
alienating  one  portion  of  the  Union  from  the  other. 
:i:  :;<  *  f^g  ^yj^g  astoulshed,  also,  that  the  Senator 
should  conceive  that  the  best  mode  for  Southern  gentle- 
men was  to  let  the  Abolitionists  come  here  and  agitate. 
*  ='■  *  The  Senator's  view  on  this  subject  was  one 
of  the  most  striking  facts  to  illustrate  the  truth  that 
when  a  popular  excitement  was  got  up,  the  strongest 
minds  gave  way.  The  only  way  was  to  put  a  stop  to 
the  whole." 

Senator  King  of  Alabama,  President  Pro  Tern  of  the 
Senate,  opposed  the  printing  of  the  resolutions,  saying: 
''The  honorable  Senator  w^ho  presented  them  knew  full 
well  that  if  Congress,  by  any  possibility,  could  be  induced 
to  act  upon  them  at  that  moment  the  Union  would  be  at 
an  end."  In  that  event  he  ''would  at  once  return  to 
his  constituents  and  tell  them  that  the  Constitution  had 
been  violated  in  a  vital  point."  The  motion  to  print 
was  laid  on  the  table  by  a  vote  of  29  to  8.  In  addition 
to  the  Vermont  Senators,  those  who  voted  to  print  were 
Davis  of  Massachusetts,  King  and  Robbins  of  Rhode 
Island,  McKean  of  Pennsylvania,  Morris  of  Ohio  and 
Smith  of  Indiana. 

In  May,  1839,  Cornelius  P.  Van  Ness  returned  from 
Spain.  On  Tuesday  evening,  August  6,  Henry  Clay 
arrived  at  Burlington  on  the  Whitehall  steamboat  and 
was  given  an  enthusiastic  reception.  He  was  escorted 
to  Howard's  Hotel  by  a  procession  of  citizens,  headed 
by  the  Woodstock  band.      He  was  introduced  to  the 


304  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

people  by  Charles  Adams  and  spoke  briefly.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  he  attended  the  Commencement  exercises  of 
the  University  of  Vermont,  and  received  the  honorary 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  He  dined  with  the  Univer- 
sity Corporation,  met  a  large  number  of  people,  and 
attended  a  crowded  levee  at  the  home  of  Samuel  Hickok, 
leaving  Burlington  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  for 
Ticonderoga. 

Governor  Jenison  was  renominated  at  Woodstock, 
June  27,  1839,  at  what  was  termed  a  Democratic-Whig 
Convention.  That  designation  was  used  for  several 
years  by  the  Whig  party.  This  was  said  at  the  time  to 
have  been  the  most  largely  attended  political  convention 
ever  assembled  in  Vermont.  Ezra  Meech,  for  several 
years  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Governor,  was  a 
delegate  to  the  convention,  and  appears  thereafter  as  a 
Whig.  George  T.  Hodges  of  Rutland  and  David  M. 
Camp  of  Derby  were  elected  delegates-at-large  to  the 
Whig  National  Convention.  The  Democratic  candidate 
for  Governor  was  Nathan  Smilie  of  Cambridge  and  the 
party  slogan  was  "Smilie  and  bank  reform."  The 
Democrats  made  a  gain  of  about  three  thousand  votes, 
Governor  Jenison  being  reelected  by  a  majority  of  2,320. 
The  vote  was :  Jenison,  24,61 1 ;  Smilie,  22,257 ;  scatter- 
ing, 34.  The  Whigs  had  a  majority  of  six  in  the  Senate 
and  eight  in  the  House.  Carlos  Coolidge  of  Windsor 
was  elected  Speaker  over  Paul  Dillingham,  Jr.,  of 
Waterbury  by  a  vote  of  116  to  109. 

In  his  message  to  the  Legislature,  Governor  Jenison 
advocated  the  establishment  of  normal  or  pattern 
schools.     Notwithstanding  the  cry  of  monopoly  raised 


GROWING   HATRED  OF   SLAVERY      305 

against  the  banks,  rightly  managed  he  considered  them 
indispensable.  He  stated  that  on  three  occasions  Gen- 
eral Nason  had  considered  it  necessary  to  call  out  por- 
tions of  the  State  militia  to  protect  property  on  the 
frontier,  endangered  by  the  Canadian  contest.  In  Feb- 
ruary the  State  troops  were  relieved  at  the  Governor's 
request  and  were  replaced  by  the  United  States  troops 
under  control  of  General  Scott.  He  referred  to  the 
arrest  in  Burlington  of  a  man  charged  with  an  atrocious 
murder  in  Canada.  A  demand  was  made  upon  the  Pres- 
ident for  his  surrender,  but  he  declined  to  interfere. 
Application  being  made  upon  the  Governor  of  Vermont 
by  the  Governor  of  Canada,  the  prisoner  was  ordered 
to  be  delivered  to  the  Canadian  officers  in  accordance 
with  an  established  custom,  but  execution  of  the  order 
was  prevented  by  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  issued  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Vermont. 

Much  of  the  legislative  session  was  devoted  to  a  re- 
vision of  the  Statutes.  A  resolution  was  adopted  by  the 
Legislature,  calling  upon  Congress  for  the  passage  of  a 
law  providing  a  just  distribution  among  the  several 
States  of  the  proceeds  of  the  public  Tands.  Another 
resolution  called  for  the  refunding  to  Vermont  of  her 
proportion  of  the  money  expended  for  internal  improve- 
ments, the  assertion  being  made  that  the  State  had  not 
derived  an  equivalent  from  the  expenditure  of  such 
appropriations. 

The  condition  of  the  banks  on  September  30,  1839, 
showed  a  circulation  of  $1,956,112;  loans  of  $3,041,502; 
deposits  of  $209,410;  and  funds  in  New  York  and  Bos- 
ton banks  amounting  to  $585,256. 


3CX)  HISTORY   OF   \'ERMOXT 

The  National  Whig  Convention  assembled  at  Harris- 
burg,  Pa.,  December  4,  1839.  The  Vermont  delegates 
were  George  T.  Hodges  of  Rutland,  David  M.  Camp  of 
Derby,  William  P.  Briggs  of  Richmond.  Charles  Paine 
of  Northfield,  William  Henry  of  Rockingham,  A.  B.  W. 
Tenney  of  Newbury  and  Samuel  H.  Holley  of  Bristol. 
Mr.  Tenney  served  as  alternate  for  Andrew  Tracy  of 
Woodstock.  On  the  first  four  ballots  \>rmont's  seven 
votes  were  cast  for  Gen.  Winfield  Scott,  but  on  the  fifth 
ballot  \'ermont.  New  York,  Illinois  and  Michigan  voted 
for  Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison  of  Ohio,  who  was 
nominated  as  the  Whig  candidate  for  President,  with 
John  Tyler  of  Mrginia  as  the  candidate  for  Vice 
President. 

On  the  second  day  of  May,  immediately  following  the 
nomination  of  Harrison  and  Tyler,  a  National  Conven- 
tion of  Whig  young  men  was  held  at  Baltimore.  The 
\'ermont  delegates  were  Bailey  Bartlett,  O.  P.  Chandler, 
D.  W.  C.  Clarke,  John  A.  Conant.  Cephas  Field. 
Timothy  Follett,  G.  W.  Grandey,  G.  G.  Hall,  M.  D. 
Hall,  Charles  Hopkins,  L.  S.  Lovell,  A.  L.  Miner, 
Z.  Newell,  A.  H.  Partridge,  George  H.  Peck,  David 
Read,  Harry  Vail,  E.  P.  Walton,  Jr.,  and  George  P. 
^^^alton.  A  feature  of  the  convention  was  a  grand 
national  procession  of  the  States.  The  Vermont  dele- 
gation carried  a  banner  bearing  the  words.  "The  Green 
Mountain  Boys  will  do  their  own  voting  and  their  own 
fighting." 

The  \^ermont  delegates  to  the  Democratic  National 
Convention,  which  met  at  Baltimore,  while  the  Whigs 
were  in  session,  were  Cornelius  P.  \'"an  Ness.  William 


GROWING    HATRED  OF  SLAVERY      liOT 

C.  Bradley,  Lucius  Peck,  E.  B.  Chase  and  Isaac 
McDonalds.  Ex-Governor  Van  Ness  was  one  of  the  six 
vice  presidents  of  the  convention.  President  Van  Buren 
was  renominated  without  opposition. 

Early  in  the  year,  town  and  county  Harrison  and 
Tyler  meetings  were  held  in  various  parts  of  the  State, 
which  were  attended  by  large  and  enthusiastic  audiences. 
One  of  the  favorite  slogans  was  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler 
too,"  referring  to  General  Harrison's  victory  over  the 
Indians  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe.  The  political  cam- 
paign of  1840  in  Vermont  probably  was  the  most  spec- 
tacular ever  waged  in  the  State,  and  this  may  be  true 
also  concerning  the  campaign  throughout  the  United 
States.  The  Democratic  party  had  been  in  power  for  a 
long  time.  The  panic  of  1837  had  caused  dissatisfaction 
with  the  administration.  President  Van  Buren  was  a 
skilful  politician,  but  he  lacked  the  qualities  which  made 
Andrew  Jackson  popular  with  the  people.  His  opponents 
charged  that  he  had  made  the  White  House  a  palace  and 
provided  a  gold  table  service.  It  was  alleged  that  Har- 
rison had  been  criticised  for  his  humble  origin,  the  charge 
being  made  that  he  had  lived  in  a  log  cabin,  where  the 
common  beverage  was  hard  cider.  All  these  elements 
combined  to  give  the  Whigs  the  opportunity  to  make 
their  candidates  extremely  popular  with  the  rank  and 
file  of  the  voters.  A  great  feature  of  political  gather- 
ings was  a  log  cabin  containing  a  barrel  of  cider. 

The  Whig  State  Convention  held  at  Burlington,  June 
25,  which  renominated  all  the  State  officers,  was  de- 
clared by  the  Neiv  York  Star  and  the  Burlington  Free 
Press  to  have  been  the  greatest  assemblage  of  freemen 


308  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

ever  held  in  New  England.  The  attendance  was  esti- 
mated at  numbers  ranging  from  fifteen  thousand  to 
twenty-five  thousand.  Mounted  men,  banners  and  log 
cabins  were  features  of  a  great  parade.  Solomon  Foot 
of  Rutland  presided  and  the  crowd  stood  for  more  than 
four  hours  to  listen  to  speeches,  delivered  by  Messrs. 
Adams  of  Burlington,  Upham  of  Montpelier,  Culver  of 
Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  and  General  Wilson  of  New 
Hampshire.  At  a  meeting  held  at  Northfield  the  vener- 
able Elijah  Paine,  United  States  District  Judge,  while 
declining  to  make  a  political  speech,  gave  some  personal 
reminiscences  of  General  Harrison,  whom  he  had  known 
in  Congress  forty  years  before,  when  Harrison  was  a 
very  young  man.  He  considered  him  a  prudent  man,  of 
good  judgment,  pure  motives  and  high  character. 

The  feature  of  this  notable  campaign  which  has  been 
remembered  longer  than  any  other,  is  the  Bennington 
and  Windham  county  convention,  held  on  Stratton 
Mountain,  July  8,  which  renominated  Congressman 
Hiland  Hall.  Of  the  location  Niles  Register  said: 
"The  place  selected  was  a  clearing  of  about  three  hun- 
dred acres  in  the  midst  of  a  magnificent  amphitheatre 
of  hills,  of  at  least  five  miles  in  diameter.  From  the 
verge  of  the  clearing  to  the  summit  of  the  mountains 
there  was  a  deep  and  unbroken  fringe  of  foliage  which 
added  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  It  was  far 
from  the  haunts  of  men,  scarcely  a  house  being  visible." 
The  attendance  has  been  estimated  at  various  numbers 
from  ten  thousand  to  fifteen  thousand.  It  was  said  at 
the  time  that  six  thousand  persons  passed  the  Arlington 
turnpike  gate,  and  that  the  attendance   from  the  east 


(;k()\\ix(;  HATRED  ok  SLAVKR\'      ijod 

surpassed  that  from  the  west  side  of  ihe  mountains. 
'I'he  location  was  chosen  to  accommodate  people  from  the 
two  counties.  The  noteworthy  feature  of  the  great 
gathering"  was  the  fact  that  at  that  time  there  were  no 
railroads.  All  travel  was  by  horse-drawn  vehicles  or 
on  foot. 

The  convention  organized  early  on  Tuesday  after- 
noon by  the  choice  of  Doctor  Ramsey  of  Townshend  as 
chairman.  At  that  time  a  great  throng  was  pouring  in 
from  all  quarters.  Many  of  the  delegations  were  headed 
by  bands  of  music  and  carried  banners.  About  two 
o'clock  Daniel  Webster  arrived  in  a  barouche,  drawn  by 
four  black  horses,  preceded  by  a  committee  of  arrange- 
ments from  Brattleboro,  and  accompanied  by  a  delegation 
from  Franklin  county,  Mass.  The  first  speaker  was 
Congressman  Hiland  Hall,  and  he  was  followed  by  Mr. 
Webster,  who  began  his  address  with  the  words,  ''Fellow 
Citizens,  I  have  come  to  meet  you  among  the  clouds." 
The  correspondent  of  Niles'  Register  said  the  Massa- 
chusetts statesman  made  "a  calm  yet  highly  impressive 
statement  of  our  national  affairs.  Those  who  heard  it 
will  not  soon  forget  either  Mount  Stratton  or  the  great 
defender  of  the  Constitution,  expounding  the  true  intent 
and  meaning  of  that  instrument  upon  its  summit.  It 
was  received  with  great  applause."  It  is  not  strictly  true 
that  the  place  of  meeting  was  on  the  summit  of  Stratton 
Mountain,  but  for  rhetorical  eft'ect  the  statement  is  per- 
missible. Other  speakers  were  Messrs.  Chapman  and 
Wells  of  Massachusetts,  Mr.  Blackmore  of  Vermont 
(possibly  Green  Blackmer  of  Bennington),  A.  L.  Miner 
of  Manchester  and  Samuel  Elliott  of  Brattleboro. 


310  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

Owing  to  the  distance  of  the  place  of  meeting  from 
any  large  village,  it  was  necessary  to  remain  over  night, 
and  each  delegation,  as  it  arrived,  selected  a  convenient 
camp  site  in  the  forest  surrounding  the  open  field.  Tents 
and  rations  for  three  days  were  brought.  To  quote 
again  from  A^ilcs'  Register,  the  correspondent  wrote: 
"The  most  striking  part  of  the  affair  to  me  was  the  eft'ect 
of  the  encampment  at  night.  Mr.  Webster  declared  his 
determination  to  encamp  with  the  Green  Mountain  Boys 
on  the  summit  of  their  far  famed  hills,  and,  of  course, 
the  declaration  was  received  with  great  pleasure.  And 
very  soon  large  numbers  erected  wigwams  in  the  con- 
tiguous forest,  and  blazing  fires  were  kindled  in  every 
direction."  One  can  readily  imagine  that  scene,  the  re- 
mote mountain  side  illuminated  with  camp-fires,  and 
vocal  with  the  songs  and  cheers  of  thousands  of  enthus- 
iastic partisans,  the  central  figure  being  Daniel  Webster, 
America's  greatest  orator  and  statesman. 

Mr.  Webster  arrived  at  Bellows  Falls  on  Wednesday, 
July  9,  and  spoke  for  an  hour  from  the  balcony  of  the 
principal  hotel  to  a  large  audience.  On  July  4,  Whig 
meetings  were  held,  the  attendance  at  Vergennes  being 
estimated  at  five  thousand,  and  at  Windsor,  at  twelve 
thousand.  A  Whig  convention  was  held  at  Bennington 
on  August  16,  the  sixty-second  anniversary  of  the  battle 
fought  near  that  place.  Lewis  Hurd,  a  veteran  of  that 
engagement,  was  present.  The  attendance  is  said  to 
have  been  more  than  ten  thousand  and  a  feature  was  a 
procession  several  miles  in  length.  The  well  known  ten- 
dency to  overestimate  the  attendance  at  public  gather- 
ings, particularly  at  political  meetings,  where  the  num- 


OROW'IXc;    IIA'ri^I'J)   of   slavery      311 

bers  present  may  be  considered  an  asset,  should  be  borne 
in  mind.  Allowing  for  ])robable  exaggeration  in  the 
figures  reported,  it  still  holds  true  that  the  Whigs  were 
an  enthusiastic,  aggressive  party  in   1840. 

About  two  hundred  Vermont  delegates  attended  what 
was  known  as  the  Bunker  Hill  Convention,  a  great 
Whig  meeting  held  in  Boston  on  September  10.  A 
parade  was  a  feature  and  the  Vermont  badge  was  a 
sprig  of  evergreen.  Daniel  Webster  presided,  William 
Upham  of  Montpelier  was  one  of  the  vice  presidents  and 
Senator  Phelps  of  Vermont  was  one  of  the  speakers. 

The  Democrats  at  the  time  were  called  Locofocos  by 
their  opponents.  C.  P.  Van  Ness  headed  the  Democratic 
electoral  ticket  and  appeared  on  the  stump  for  his  party. 

Governor  Jenison  was  reelected  by  a  majority  of 
10,753,  a  gain  of  more  than  eight  thousand  over  the  vote 
of  the  previous  year.  The  official  returns  were:  Silas  H. 
Jenison,  33,435  ;  Paul  Dillingham,  Jr.,  22,637:  scattering, 
45.  Only  two  counties,  Lamoille  and  Washington,  gave 
Democratic  majorities  and  these  were  small  and  greatly 
reduced  over  those  of  the  previous  year,  when  that  party 
carried  six  counties.  In  the  State  Senate  the  Whigs 
had  twenty-eight,  and  the  Democrats  two  votes.  The 
political  division  in  the  House  was,  Whigs,  178;  Demo- 
crats, 59.  This  represented  a  Whig  gain  of  ten  in  the 
Senate  and  sixty-three  in  the  House.  The  popular  vote, 
compared  with  that  of  1839,  showed  a  Whig  gain  of 
nearly  9,000  and  a  Democratic  gain  of  793.  A  great 
reserve  vote  was  brought  out  and  the  total  number  of 
ballots  cast  for  Governor  was  not  equalled  until  twenty- 
eight  years  later,  in  1868. 


312  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

While  General  Harrison  was  addressing  a  great 
audience  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  a  letter  arrived,  bringing  the 
news  of  the  unusually  large  Whig  majority  in  the  Ver- 
mont State  election.  This  letter  was  read  to  the  people 
assembled  and  aroused  much  enthusiasm. 

The  great  Whig  victory  brought  with  it  the  election  of 
all  of  the  five  Congressmen.  Messrs.  Everett,  Hall  and 
Slade  were  reelected.  In  the  fourth  district,  Augustus 
Young  defeated  John  Smith  by  1,303  majority  and  in  the 
fifth  district  John  Mattocks  won  over  Isaac  Fletcher, 
the  majority  being  124.  Mr.  Mattocks  had  previously 
served  two  terms  in  Congress. 

Augustus  Young  was  born  in  Arlington,  March  20, 
1785.  He  studied  law  at  Stowe,  but  removed  to  Crafts- 
bury  in  1812.  He  represented  that  town  in  the  Legisla- 
ture in  1821-24,  1826,  1828-30  and  in  1832.  He  served 
three  terms  in  the  Senate,  1836-38;  was  State's  Attorney 
of  Orleans  county,  1824-25 ;  and  served  as  Judge  of  Pro- 
bate, 1830-31.  After  one  term  in  Congress  he  declined 
a  reelection,  resuming  the  practice  of  law.  He  removed 
to  St.  Albans  in  1847  and  was  Assistant  Judge  of  Frank- 
lin County  Court  from  1851  to  1855.  He  devoted  much 
time  to  literary  and  scientific  pursuits.  His  death 
occurred  at  St.  Albans,  June  17,  1857. 

The  election  in  November  was  even  more  cmjihatic 
than  that  of  September,  for  every  county  in  the  State 
was  carried  by  the  Whigs.  Harrison's  majority  in  the 
State  was  14, 1 1 1 .  Van  Buren  carried  only  seven  States, 
Alabama,  Arkansas,  Illinois,  Missouri,  New  Hampshire, 
South  Carolina  and  Virginia.  Harrison  received  234 
electoral  votes,  and  60  were  cast  for  Van  Buren. 


GROWING   HATRED  OF  SLAVERY     313 

The  N'crmunt  vote  by  counties,  cast  for  Harrison 
(Whig),  \'an  Buren  (Dem.)  and  Birney  (Liberty  or, 
Anti-Slavery),  was  as  hjllows: 

Harrison     Van  Buren  Birney 

Addison    2,806               916  26 

Bennington    L796  L423  30 

Caledonia  2,025  \,7U 

Chittenden    2,286  L381  18 

l^ssex    448                303 

l^Vanklin 2,180  1,191  39    . 

Grand  Isle 363                162 

Lamoille  907               888  12 

Orange   2,874  2,216  72 

Orleans 1,294                745  17 

Rutland    4,114  1,551  10 

Washington   2,057  1,984  65 

Windham 3,472  1,715  18 

Windsor  5,817  1,821  12 

Total 32,445  18,009  319 

Vermont  gave  the  largest  majority  for  the  Whig 
ticket  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  votes  cast,  of  any 
State  in  the  Union.  The  contest  for  this  honor  was 
exceedingly  close  between  Kentucky  and  Vermont,  and 
the  Louisville  Journal  said  if  Vermont  had  cast  eighteen 
fewer  votes  for  Harrison  the  honor  w^ould  have  gone 
to  Kentucky. 

The  Vermont  Presidential  Electors,  chosen  in  1840. 
were  Samuel  C.  Crafts  of  Craftsbury,  John  Conant  of 
Brandon,  Ezra  Meech  of  Shelburne,  Abner  B.  \N.  Tennev 


314  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

of  Newbury,  William  Henry  of  Rockingham,  William 
P.  Briggs  of  Richmond  and  Joseph  Reed  of  Montpelier. 

In  his  annual  message  in  1840,  Governor  Jenison  re- 
ferred to  the  Presidential  contest  in  terms  which  left 
nobody  in  doubt  that  he  was  an  ardent  Whig.  He  re- 
plied to  attacks  made  upon  the  banks,  recounting  the 
benefit  which  they  had  rendered,  although  he  conceded 
that  banks  had  been  chartered  "with  too  great  facility 
and  upon  improper  principles  in  some  sections  of  the 
Union,  perhaps  to  some  extent  in  this  State."  He  an- 
nounced that  he  did  not  desire  again  to  be  a  candidate 
for  Governor. 

The  Legislature  of  1840  passed  a  general  banking  act. 
As  an  evidence  of  opposition  to  the  return  of  fugitive 
slaves,  a  law  was  enacted  providing  that  certain  fugitives 
from  service  or  labor  were  entitled  to  a  jury  trial  to  de- 
termine their  identity,  the  facts  concerning  their  alleged 
escape,  and  to  substantiate  any  claim  to  service.  A 
bounty  of  twenty  cents  on  every  pound  of  woven  silk 
manufactured  in  the  State  from  cocoons  grown  therein, 
was  granted.  The  sum  of  $436.61  was  appropriated  for 
paying  the  militia  called  out  by  order  of  the  Governor 
of  the  State,  February  28,  1838,  for  the  protection  of 
the  northern  frontier,  on  application  of  Brig.  Gen.  John 
E.  Wool  of  the  United  States  Army. 

A  resolution  was  adopted,  asking  the  Vermont  Sena- 
tors and  Congressmen  to  endeavor  to  procure  the  sub- 
mission of  an  amendment  to  the  United  States  Constitu- 
tion, restricting  the  eligibility  of  the  President  to  a  single 
term.  Another  resolution  adopted  declared  that  the 
tariff  act  of  1833  "is  altogether  insufficient  to  protect  the 


C.ROWIXC.    1-IATRKI)   OF   SLAVERY      315 

products  of  our  ayricullure  and  manufactures  against 
foreign  competition." 

The  census  of  1840  gave  X'crniont  a  population  of 
291,998,  a  gain  over  1830  of  1 1,296,  or  4  per  cent.  This 
was  the  smallest  increase  Vermont  had  shown  during 
any  census  period  since  the  admission  of  the  State  to  the 
Union.     The  population  by  counties  was  as  follows: 

Addison    23,583 

Bennington 16,872 

Caledonia   21,891 

Chittenden    22,977 

Essex    4,226 

Franklin 24,531 

Grand  Isle  3,883 

Lamoille 10,475 

Orange 27,873 

Orleans 13,634 

Rutland    30,699 

Washington  23,506 

Windham 27,442 

Windsor 40,356 

Small  losses  were  shown  in  Addison,  Bennington, 
Orleans,  Rutland,  Windham  and  Windsor  counties. 

There  were  comparatively  heavy  losses  in  certain 
towns  in  Addison,  Washington,  Windham  and  Windsor 
counties.  Certain  towns  in  Franklin  county  showed 
large  gains,  although  the  increase  for  the  entire  county 
was  very  small.  Other  towns  in  Chittenden,  Lamoille, 
Orange,  Orleans,  Washington  and  Windsor  counties 
made  good  gains.  Brattleboro  gained  482 ;  Northfield, 
601 ;  Montpelier,  740,  and  Burlington,  1,045. 


316  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 


The  most  populous  towns  were:  Burlington,  4,271; 
Montpelier,  3,725;  Bennington,  3,429;  Woodstock, 
3,315;  Middlebury,  3,161;  Windsor,  2,744;  Rut- 
land, 2,708;  St.  Albans,  2,702;  Randolph,  2,678;  Dan- 
ville, 2,633;  Springfield,  2,625;  Brattleboro,  2,623; 
Newbury,  2,579;  Fairfield,  2,448;  Hartland,  2,341 ;  Rock- 
ingham, 2,330;  Swanton,  2,313;  Chester,  2,305;  High- 
gate,  2,292;  Norwich,  2,218;  Brandon,  2,194;  Hartford, 
2,194;  Milton,  2,136;  Barre,  2,126;  Georgia,  2,106; 
Thetford,  2,065 ;  Barnet,  2,030;  Enosburg,  2,022;  North- 
field,  2,013;  Weathersfield,  2,002. 

The  males  exceeded  the  females  by  about  1,500.  The 
population  included  730  free  colored  persons.  There 
were  in  the  State  1,320  pensioners  of  the  Revolutionary 
War  and  twenty  persons  one  hundred  years  old  and  up- 
wards. The  number  of  persons  engaged  in  various 
occupations  were  returned  as  follows:  Agriculture, 
73,150;  manufacture  and  trade,  13,174;  learned  profes- 
sions and  engineers,  1,563;  commerce,  1,303;  navigation 
on  canals,  lakes  and  rivers,  146;  mining,  77 .  Some  of 
the  principal  agricultural  statistics  of  1840  showing  pro- 
duction were  as  follows:  Corn,  1,119,678  bu. ;  wheat, 
495,800  bu.;  oats,  2,222,584  bu.;  barley,  54,781  bu.; 
rye,  230,993  bu. ;  buckwheat,  228,416  bu. ;  potatoes, 
8,869,451  bu.;  hay,  836,739  tons;  hops,  48,137  lbs.;  flax 
and  hemp,  69,000  lbs. ;  tobacco,  585  lbs. ;  maple  sugar, 
4,647,934  lbs. ;  silk  in  cocoons,  4,286  lbs. ;  dairy  products, 
value,  $2,008,737 ;  horses  and  mules,  62,402 ;  neat  cattle, 
384,341;  swine,  203,800;  poultry,  value,  $131,578; 
sheep  1,681,819;  wool,  3,699,235  lbs. 


(;ro\\'ix(;  iiatreh  of  slavery    :ni 

Vermont  ranked  second  among  the  States  in  the  i)ro- 
diiction  of  wool  and  hops;  third  in  maple  sugar;  fourth 
in  number  of  sheep,  silk  cocoons,  dairy  products,  hay  and 
potatoes. 

The  total  value  of  Vermont  manufactures  in  1840 
was  $6,923,982.  There  were  334  factories  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods,  of  which  239  were 
fulling  mills,  the  others  being  woolen  factories,  and  the 
value  of  their  product  was  $1,331,953.  The  capital  in- 
vested was  $1,400,950  and  the  average  number  of  wage 
earners  was  1,450.  The  seven  cotton  mills  reported 
7,254  spindles,  employed  241  workmen,  and  manufac- 
tured goods  valued  at  $113,000.  The  capital  invested 
was  $202,500.  There  were  in  the  State  261  tanneries;  17 
paper  mills,  the  product  being  valued  at  $214,720;  321 
grist  mills,  1,081  sawmills  and  20  oil  mills,  the  combined 
value  of  their  output  being  $1,083,124;  26  furnaces  and 
14  forges,  producing  pig  iron  valued  at  $42,575,  and 
iron  castings  worth  $24,900;  eight  potteries,  producing 
goods  valued  at  $23,000;  two  glass  factories  with  an 
output  amounting  to  $55,000;  furniture  valued  at 
$83,275;  one  brewery  making  12,800  gallons;  two  distil- 
leries, making  3,500  gallons;  carriages  worth  $162,097; 
granite  and  marble  products  valued  at  $62,515;  machin- 
ery, worth  $101,354;  bricks  and  lime  valued  at  $402,218. 

Nearly  10  per  cent  of  Vermont's  manufactured  goods 
were  produced  in  families,  the  value  of  this  output  being 
$674,548.  At  this  time  6  per  cent  of  the  manufactured 
products  of  the  United  States  was  made  in  the  homes. 
The  mills  and  factories  were  small  and  many  little  water 


318  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

powers  were  utilized,  traces  of  which  in  later  years  were 
seem  in  old  dams  and  decaying  water  wheels. 

In  1840  Addison  county  is  said  to  have  contained  a 
greater  number  of  sheep  than  any  other  county  in  the 
United  States,  and  to  have  led  all  other  counties  in  woo\ 
production.  The  census  of  1840  showed  that  there  were 
in  the  town  of  Shoreham  41,188  sheep,  which  produced 
95,276  pounds  of  wool.  This  was  an  average  a  little  in 
excess  of  one  and  five-eighths  sheep  for  each  acre  of 
land,  improved  and  unimproved,  and  more  than  twenty- 
four  sheep  for  each  inhabitant.  This  was  the  largest 
wool  growing  town  in  Vermont,  and  probably  the  largest 
in  the  United  States  at  that  time.  The  average  weight 
of  a  Shoreham  fleece  of  wool  in  1840  was  a  little  more 
than  two  pounds  and  five  ounces;  and  in  1850  it  was 
slightly  in  excess  of  three  pounds  and  five  ounces.  Some 
of  the  best  graded  flocks  sheared  an  average  of  five 
pounds  each,  and  some  pure  blooded  Spanish  Merinos 
produced  more  than  six  pounds  each  of  washed  wool. 
At  one  time,  with  favorable  tarifif  rates,  wool  sold  at 
prices  varying  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  cents  per  pound 
and  v/ealth  increased  rapidly.  Late  in  1839  and  1840 
prices  fell  and  those  w^ho  were  in  debt  for  land  or  flocks 
suffered  severely.  It  is  said  that  the  wool  industry  of 
Addison  county  never  fully  recovered  from  this  period 
of  depression. 

At  this  time  there  were  in  Vermont  2,300  district 
schools  and  106,000  children  between  the  ages  of  four 
and  twelve  years.  The  aggregate  expenses  for  schools 
was  $292,730  for  the  year,  or  $127  for  each  district. 


GROWIXc;    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      319 

The  Congressional  aijportionnient,  based  on  the  census 
of  1840,  reduced  the  number  of  Vermont  Representatives 
from  five  to  four.  In  the  organization  of  Congressional 
committees  Senator  Prentiss  was  made  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Patents  and  a  member  of  Pul3hc  Lands 
and  the  Judiciary.  Senator  Phelps  was  chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  Militia  and  a  member  of  Indian 
Affairs.  In  the  House,  Mr.  Hall  was  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Revolutionary  Claims.  Mr.  Everett  was 
second  on  Foreign  Affairs,  Mr.  Mattocks  was  assigned 
to  Agriculture  and  Mr.  Young  to  Public  Buildings  and 
Grounds.  Mr.  Everett  was  a  very  active  member  of  the 
House,  being  prominent  in  debate,  skilful  in  par- 
liamentary procedure  and  apparently  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  House.  Thurlow  Weed  in  one  of  his 
letters  includes  the  name  of  Horace  Everett  among  the 
ablest  members  who  served  when  Congress,  in  his 
opinion,  was  at  its  best. 

A  special  session  of  Congress  was  called  by  President 
Harrison  but  he  died  just  one  month  after  his  inaugura- 
tion. Congressman  Hiland  Hall  represented  Vermont 
as  one  of  the  pall  bearers  at  the  President's  funeral. 

At  the  opening  of  the  special  session  Mr.  Slade  was 
active  in  attempting  to  revise  the  rules  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  right  of  ]jetition  might  be  preserved.  He  said : 
"Those  must  know  very  little  of  the  nature  of  abolition 
excitement  who  think  to  stop  or  retard  it  by  denying  the 
right  of  petition,  and  forbidding  discussion  in  this  hall. 
They  ought  to  know  that  if  obstructed  in  one  channel  it 
will  find  another.  The  stream  will  roll  on,  obstruct  it 
who  will."     Calling  attention  to  a  third  party  already  in 


320  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

existence,  he  declared:  ''That  party  has  been  forced  in 
being  by  the  gag  resohitions  and  rules  which  have  been 
adopted  here,  and  by  kindred  measures  in  favor  of  slav- 
ery elsewhere.  *  *  *  The  great  question  of 
slavery  will  have  to  be  met  in  some  form  sooner  or  later, 
and  that  not  merely  as  a  question  of  philanthropy  and 
human  rights,  but  as  one  intimately  connected  with  the 
finances  of  the  country,  affected  as  they  are,  and  ever 
must  be,  by  the  antagonistic  influences  of  free  and  slave 
labor." 

Early  in  the  year  1841  Stephen  Haight  of  Monkton, 
Sergeant-at-Arms  of  the  United  States  Senate,  died  at 
Washington.  He  had  been  active  in  political  affairs  in 
Vermont,  first  as  a  Federalist,  and  later  as  a  Democrat. 

The  candidates  for  Governor  in  1841  were  Charles 
Paine  of  Northfield  (Whig),  Nathan  Smilie  of  Cam- 
bridge (Dem.),  and  Titus  Hutchinson  of  Woodstock 
(Anti-Slavery).  The  appearance  of  former  Chief  Jus- 
tice Hutchinson  as  a  candidate  marks  the  beginning 'of 
the  Anti-Slavery  party,  which  figured  in  Vermont  elec- 
tions, most  of  the  time  as  a  separate  organization,  until 
the  rise  of  the  Republican  party.  The  vote  was  as  fol- 
lows: Paine,  23,353;  Smilie,  21,302;  Hutchinson, 
3,039;  scattering,  248.  As  no  candidate  had  a  majority, 
the  Legislature  in  joint  assembly  elected  the  Whig  can- 
didate, Charles  Paine,  as  Governor,  and  the  House  re- 
elected Carlos  Coolidge  as  Speaker. 

Charles  Paine  was  born  in  Williamstown,  April  15, 
1799,  being  the  son  of  Judge  Elijah  Paine,  one  of  the 
most  eminent  citizens  of  Vermont.  Pie  was  graduated 
from  Harvard  Collec^c  at  the  age  of  tw^enty-one  years. 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   821 

He  removed  to  Northfield  and  represented  that  town  in 
the  Legislatures  of  1828  and  1829.  In  1835  a  consider- 
able number  of  Whig  votes  were  cast  for  him  for  Gov- 
ernor, (luring-  the  latter  part  of  the  Anti-Masonic  period. 
1  le  was  interested  in  agriculture  and  the  breeding  of 
high  grade  cattle,  but  he  was  best  known  as  one  of  the 
leaders  in  the  building  of  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad 
and  the  first  president  of  the  corporation.  He  con- 
ducted a  large  hotel  at  Northfield  and  was  interested  in 
various  business  enterprises.  He  died  at  Waco,  Texas, 
July  6,  1853,  where  he  had  gone  to  supervise  the  survey- 
ing of  a  route  for  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

In  his  message  to  the  General  Assembly,  Governor 
Paine  protested  against  the  abandonment  of  the  protect- 
ive tariff  policy  "because  a  single  Southern  State,  deny- 
ing the  constitutionality  of  such  legislation,  threatened 
violently  to  resist  the  execution  of  these  laws.  *  *  * 
It  would  be  superfluous,"  he  adds,  "to  attempt  to  show 
that  a  protective  tariff  is  essential  to  the  prosperity  of 
this  portion  of  the  Union.  The  value  of  our  agricultural 
products,  and  especially  wool,  depends  entirely  upon  the 
success  of  our  manufactures,  and  every  farmer  in  Ver- 
mont is  deeply  interested  in  saving  them  from  the  ruin 
which,  it  is  feared,  is  impending  over  them."  He  pro- 
tested against  the  veto  power,  which  President  Tyler  had 
wielded  in  a  manner  that  exasperated  the  Whig  party 
which  had  elected  him  Vice  President,  saying:  "The 
early  settlers  of  Vermont  w^re  too  jealous  of  liberty  to 
allow  such  a  power  any  place  in  our  Constitution."  He 
regarded  the  veto  as  "the  only  monarchial  feature  in  our 
form  of  government,"  and  suggested  the  propriety  of 


322  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

proposing  an  amendment  to  the  Constitution,  rendering 
the  President  ineligible  for  reelection,  and  restricting 
his  power  of  removal  from  office  and  his  use  of  the  veto. 
He  referred  to  the  importance  of  education  and  the  need 
of  a  geological  survey,  the  latter  proposal  having  been 
recommended  by  some  of  his  predecessors. 

The  Legislature  adopted  a  resolution  favoring  a 
national  law,  designating  one  day  on  which  all  Presi- 
dential Electors  should  be  chosen.  Under  the  census  of 
1840,  State  Senators  were  apportioned  as  follows: 
Addison,  2 ;  Bennington,  2 ;  Caledonia,  2 ;  Chittenden,  2 ; 
Essex,  1 ;  Franklin,  3 ;  Grand  Isle,  1 ;  Lamoille,  1 ; 
Orange,  3 ;  Orleans,  1 ;  Rutland,  3 ;  Washington, 
2;  Windham,  3;  Windsor,  4. 

The  tariff  law  was  declared  ''highly  defective  and 
insufficient,"  and  it  was  "Resolved,  That  we  regard  the 
right  to  enjoy  the  products  of  our  soil  and  labor  as 
sacred  and  valuable  as  the  right  to  the  soil  itself;  and 
that  it  is  equally  the  duty  of  our  Government  to  prosecute 
the  settlement  of  the  Northeastern  boundary  question 
without  any  unnecessary  delay,"  adding,  "That  while  we 
deprecate  a  war  with  Great  Britain  as  a  great  national 
evil,  and  to  be  resorted  to  only  in  case  of  stern  necessity, 
and  while  we  recommend  to  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  a  conciliatory  yet  firm  and  decided  course 
on  the  subject,  yet  if  such  course  fail,  we  pledge  our- 
selves to  sustain  the  authorities  of  the  Union  in  main- 
taining their  rights,  with  all  the  resources  in  our 
power." 

Another  resolution  favored  the  repeal  of  all  laws 
authorizincf  slaverv  in  the  District  of  Columbia.     The 


GROWING    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      :32:? 

Representatives  and  Senators  were  asked  "to  use  their 
utmost  endeavor  to  i)revent  the  adoption  of  any  rule, 
order,  resohilion  or  usaji;e  HniitiniL,''  or  impairing  the  con- 
stitutional right  of  the  pe()])le  to  jietition  Congress  for  tlie 
redress  of  grievances."  It  was  also  "Resolved,  That  no 
new  State  ought  to  he  admitted  into  the  Union,  the  con- 
stitution of  which  authorizes  domestic  slavery.'' 

The  memhers  of  the  ninth  Council  of  Censors  were 
Joseph  I).  Farnsworth  of  Fairfax,  Peter  Starr  of  Mid- 
dlehury,  John  A.  Pratt  of  Woodstock,  Wallis  Mott  of 
South  Hero,  Austin  Birchard  of  Newfane,  Martin  C. 
Oeming   of    Arlington,    Gordon    Newell    of    Pittsford, 
Luther  Carpenter  of  Orange,  Heman  Allen  of  Burling- 
ton. Alvah  R.  French  of  Craftsbury,  Ephraim  Paddock 
of  St.  Johnsbury,  David  Hibbard,  Jr.,  of  Concord,  and 
Hezekiah  H.  Reed  of  Montpelier.     Three  sessions  were 
held,  two  in  Montpelier  and  one  in  Burlington.     Seven 
amendments  were  proposed  and  a  Constitutional  Con- 
vention was  called,  which  met  in  Montpelier  January  7, 
1843.     The  proposals  of  amendment  included  the  fol- 
lowing :     Fixing  the  annual  State  election  on  the  second 
Tuesday  of  October ;  providing  that  the  State  and  county 
of^cers   should   remain   in   office  until   their   successors 
were  elected  and  had  qualified;  fixing  the  term  of  State 
Senators  at   three  years,   one-third   to  be  elected  each 
year,  and  giving  the  Governor  power  to  make  temporary 
appointments;  electing  Sheriffs,  High  Bailiffs  and  Jus- 
tices of  the  Peace  by  popular  vote;  making  the  term  of 
the  Supreme  Court  Judges  seven  years,  and  providing 
for  their  removal  by  impeachment,  or  by  joint  resolution 
passed  by  not  less  than  two-thirds  of  each  House;  pro- 


324  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

viding  for  a  referendum  on  constitutional  amendments. 
All  of  these  proposals  were  defeated,  most  of  them  by 
large  majorities.  The  amendment  proposing  the  elec- 
tion of  Justices  of  the  Peace  by  the  freemen  failed  by  a 
vote  of  105  to  117,  but  this  was  the  only  proposal  rejected 
by  a  narrow  margin. 

A  few  weeks  before  his  death,  which  occurred  April 
28,  1842,  the  venerable  Elijah  Paine  of  Williamstown 
resigned  the  United  States  Judgeship  for  the  District 
of  Vermont,  which  office  he  had  held  forty-one  years, 
having  been  appointed  by  President  John  Adams.  The 
vacancy  on  the  bench  again  was  filled  from  the  United 
States  Senate,  President  Tyler  appointing  Senator 
Samuel  Prentiss  of  Montpelier,  a  man  eminently  quali- 
fied for  the  position.  Senator  Prentiss  resigned  his  seat 
on  April  11,  1842,  and  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  Judge  Paine's 
son  to  appoint  a  Senator  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the 
resignation  of  his  father's  successor.  It  is  reported  on 
newspaper  authority  that  Governor  Paine  tendered  the 
appointment  to  William  Jarvis  of  Weathersfield,  one  of 
the  early  champions  of  a  protective  tarifif  and  a  long 
time  Whig  leader  in  Vermont.  Mr.  Jarvis  declined,  it 
is  said,  because  he  feared  his  health  would  not  permit 
him  to  render  the  service  he  felt  his  constituents  should 
receive.  The  appointment  was  then  ofifered  to  and 
accepted  by  Ex-Gov.  Samuel  C.  Crafts  of  Craftsbury, 
who  had  served  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  and 
later  was  elected  to  fill  the  unexpired  ])ortion  of  Senator 
Prentiss'  term. 

Slavery  continued  to  be  the  most  disturbing  topic 
of  public  discussion.     On  January  20,  1842,  Congress- 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY  325 

man  Alattocks  of  Vermont  remarked  that  he  held  in  his 
hand  petitions  from  a  great  number  of  the  most  respect- 
able freeholders  and  legal  voters  in  his  State  relating  to 
the  subject  of  abolition,  "which,  if  this  were  Liberty 
Hall,  he  should  present,  but  as  it  was  Slavery  Hall,  he 
should  forebear."  In  a  discussion  of  the  diplomatic  bill, 
on  April  14,  as  it  related  to  Mexico,  Mr.  Slade  expressed 
the  opinion  that  the  American  people  never  could  be 
drawn  into  any  such  measure  as  the  annexation  of 
Texas,  adding:  "It  would  be  utter  ruin  to  the  Union  of 
States."  He  would  not  "give  the  snap  of  his  fingers  for 
this  Union  from  the  day  such  a  measure  was  effected. 
It  would  be  dissolved  ipso  facto  from  that  moment." 
This  is  an  example  of  the  extreme  position  taken  by 
some  of  the  most  ardent  anti-slavery  men. 

The  Whig  State  Convention  of  1842  renominated 
Governor  Paine  over  Judge  Williams  and  Congressman 
Slade,  and  condemned  the  course  pursued  by  President 
Tyler  in  vetoing  measures  indorsed  by  the  party  which 
nominated  him.  At  the  Vermont  Abolition  Convention, 
held  June  1,  five  counties  were  represented.  Chief  Jus- 
tice Charles  K.  Williams  of  Rutland  was  nominated  for 
Governor,  and  E.  D.  Barber  of  Middlebury,  for  Lieu- 
tenant Governor.  Nathan  Smilie  of  Cambridge  again 
was  the  Democratic  candidate.  Governor  Paine  w^as 
reelected  by  a  small  majority  of  the  popular  vote,  which 
was  as  follows:  Paine,  27,167:  Smilie,  24,130:  Wil- 
liams, 2,093 :  scattering,  35.  The  counties  of  Benning- 
ton. Caledonia,  Lamoille,  Orange  and  Washington,  gave 
Democratic  majorities  in  1842,  as  they  did  in  1841.  The 
party  division  in  the  Senate  was   sixteen  Whigs  and 


326  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

fourteen  Democrats;  in  the  House,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  Whigs  and  one  hundred  and  one  Democrats. 
Andrew  Tracy  of  Woodstock,  a  Whig,  was  elected 
Speaker.  Although  Whig  Governors  were  chosen  year 
after  year,  the  margin  usually  was  sufficiently  close  to 
encourage  the  opposition  to  make  a  stiff  fight. 

Solomon  Foot  of  Rutland  (Whig)  was  elected  mem- 
ber of  Congress  for  the  First  district  by  about  1,200 
majority  over  C.  B.  Harrington  of  Rutland  (Dem.). 
There  was  no  election  in  the  Second  district,  Jacob  Col- 
lamer  of  Woodstock  lacking  271  votes  of  a  majority 
over  Gen.  Truman  B.  Ransom  of  Norwich  (Dem). 
At  a  second  election,  held  November  13,  Mr.  Collamer 
was  elected  by  about  five  hundred  majority.  In  the 
Third  district,  George  P.  Marsh  of  Burlington  (Whig) 
was  elected  over  John  Smith  of  St.  Albans,  (Dem.)  by 
808  majority.  In  the  Fourth  district,  Paul  Dillingham, 
Jr.,  of  Waterbury  (Dem.)  was  elected  over  George  B. 
Chandler  of  Danville  (Whig)  by  286  majority.  The 
Fourth  district  contained  the  strong  Democratic  county 
of  Washington,  and  for  a  considerable  period  generally 
elected  a  Democratic  Congressman,  when  the  State  at 
large  and  the  other  Congressional  districts  showed 
Whig  pluralities  or  majorities.  Thus  an  entirely  new 
delegation  was  sent  to  Congress. 

Solomon  Foot  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Vt.,  November 
19,  1802.  Left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  he 
made  his  own  way  in  the  world.  Securing  some  educa- 
tion he  taught  district  schools,  fitted  for  college  and 
graduated  from  Middlebury  in  the  class  of  1826.  j-fe 
was  a  tutor  at  Middlebury  College  for  four  years,  was 


(;R()\\'1\{;    IIATRKI)   ()]'    SL.WKin^      :V21 

preceptor  of  Castletoii  Academy  and  professor  of 
natural  philosophy  at  the  \'ermont  Medical  School  at 
Castleton.  While  leaching,  he  studied  law  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  l)ar  in  1831,  opening  an  office  at  Rutland, 
lie  represented  Rutland  in  the  Legislature  in  1833, 
1836-38  and  1847,  and  was  Speaker  of  the  House  in 
1837,  1838  and  1847.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention  of  1836  and  State's  Attorney  of 
Rutland  county  from  1836  to  1842.  He  served  two 
terms  in  Congress,  declining  to  be  a  candidate  for  a 
third  term.  He  was  an  unsuccessful  candidate  for  Clerk 
of  the  National  House  of  Representatives  in  1849.  In 
1850  he  was  elected  United  States  Senator  as  a  Whig, 
and  with  the  rise  of  the  Republican  party  he  joined  that 
political  organization.  He  succeeded  in  securing  the 
erection  of  a  custom  house  at  Burlington  and  buildings 
for  the  United  States  Court  at  Rutland  and  Windsor. 
He  was  twice  reelected  to  the  Senate.  He  w^as  an  un- 
usually capable  presiding  officer  and  for  several  years 
was  President  Pro  Tern  of  the  United  States  Senate. 
He  died  at  Washington,  March  28,  1866. 

Jacob  Collamer  was  born  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  January  8, 
1791.  When  four  years  old  he  removed  with  his  family 
to  Burlington,  Vt.  He  entered  the  University  of  Ver- 
mont in  1806  and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1810. 
He  studied  law  in  St.  Albans  whh  Judge  Asa  Aldis  and 
Hon.  Benjamin  Swift  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1813.  In  1812  he  entered  the  army  and  served  as  a 
Lieutenant  of  artillery.  In  1814  he  was  a  member  of 
the  staff  of  General  French  at  Plattsburg.  Soon  after 
his  admission  to  the  bar  he  opened  an  office  at  Randolph, 


328  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

removing  in  1816  to  Royal  ton,  which  was  his  home  until 
1836,  when  he  removed  to  Woodstock.  He  represented 
Royalton  in  the  Legislature  in  1821-22,  1827  and  1830, 
and  was  State's  Attorney  of  Windsor  county,  1820-24. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1836,  and  served  as  a  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court  from 
1834  until  his  election  to  the  House  of  Representatives 
in  1842.  Declining  reelection  in  1848,  he  was  appointed 
Postmaster  General  in  the  Cabinet  of  President  Taylor, 
resigning  with  his  associates  upon  the  death  of  the  Presi- 
dent. Soon  after  his  resignation  he  was  elected  a  Judge 
of  the  Circuit  Court,  presiding  in  county  court  trials, 
which  office  he  held  until  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1854  by  the  newly  organized  Republican  party. 
He  was  reelected  in  1860  and  in  that  year  Vermont  pre- 
sented his  name  as  a  candidate  for  the  Republican 
Presidential  nomination.  He  was  a  lawyer  and  a  Judge 
of  great  ability  and  was  considered  an  authority  on  con- 
stitutional law  in  the  United  States  Senate.  He  died 
at  his  home  in  Woodstock,  November  9,  1865. 

George  Perkins  Marsh  was  born  at  Woodstock,  Vt., 
March  15,  1801.  He  was  a  grandson  of  Joseph  Marsh, 
Vermont's  first  Lieutenant  Governor,  and  he  was  a  son 
of  Charles  Marsh,  a  member  of  Congress  from  1815  to 
1817,  and  one  of  the  famous  lawyers  of  the  State.  His 
mother  was  the  second  wife  of  Charles  Marsh.  She  was 
widow  of  Josias  Lyndon  Arnold  of  St.  Johnsbury,  and 
was  a  woman  of  unusual  culture  and  refinement.  Mr. 
Marsh,  therefore,  inherited  exceptional  (|ualities  of  mind 
and  noble  traits  of  character,  lie  jirepared  for  college 
at    Andover,    Mass.,    and    entered    Dartmouth,    grad- 


GROW  IXC.    HATRED   Ol'^   SLAVERY      1^29 

uaiing-  in  the  class  ut  1820.  lie  sludicd  law  in  his 
lather's  uffice  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1825.  lie 
opened  an  oflice  in  Burlington  and  there  found  in  this 
University  town  intellectual  and  cultured  associates  who 
were  congenial  companions.  Here  he  began  to  assemble 
his  famous  library  and  collection  of  engravings.  In 
addition  to  his  professional  duties  he  pursued  the  study 
of  languages,  particularly  those  of  northern  Europe.  In 
1838  he  published  an  Icelandic  Grammar.  In  1835  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Governor's  Council.  He 
served  three  terms  in  Congress,  from  1843  to  1849,  being 
an  active  and  an  influential  member.  Abraham  Lincoln 
once  said  to  a  native  of  Vermont  that  Mr.  Marsh  was 
the  most  scholarly  man  in  Congress  during  his  (Lin- 
coln's) term  of  service.  In  1849  he  was  appointed  United 
States  Minister  to  Turkey,  serving  until  1853.  In  1852 
he  was  charged  with  a  special  mission  to  Greece.  Re- 
turning to  his  home,  in  1857,  he  was  appointed  State 
Railroad  Commissioner,  serving  until  1859.  In  1861 
President  Lincoln  appointed  him  the  first  United  States 
Minister  to  the  new  Kingdom  of  Italy,  and  he  performed 
the  duties  of  the  office  efficiently  until  his  death,  July 
24,  1882.  He  was  one  of  the  most  scholarly  men  \^er- 
mont  ever  has  produced.  He  wrote  many  books  and 
was  a  noted  philologist.  He  was  also  interested  in 
music,  painting,  sculpture  and  architecture.  His  valu- 
able library  later  was  purchased  for  the  University  of 
\''ermont.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  two  of  his  Vermont 
contemporaries,  Hiland  Hall  and  William  Slade,  were 
men  whose  literary  achievements  have  been  remembered 
longer  than  their  political  honors. 


330  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

Paul  Dillingham,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Shutesbury,  Mass., 
August  10,  1799.  His  father,  Paul  Dillingham,  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,  and  the  family  removed  to 
Waterbury,  Vt.,  in  1807.  Pie  attended  the  Washington 
County  Grammar  School  at  Montpelier,  studied  law  with 
Dan  Carpenter  of  Waterbury,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1824.  He  opened  an  office  in  his  home  town  and 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  active  life,  for  fifty  years 
or  more,  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion. He  was  said  to  be  one  of  the  best  jury  lawyers 
in  Vermont.  He  was  an  orator  of  great  power,  pos- 
sessed of  a  voice  of  unusual  charm,  was  a  man  of  com- 
manding presence  and  great  personal  magnetism.  He 
was  Town  Clerk  of  Waterbury  from  1829  to  1844;  rep- 
resented the  town  in  the  Legislature  in  1833,  1834,  1837 
and  1839;  was  State's  Attorney  of  Washington  county, 
1835-39;  was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tions of  1836,  1857  and  1870;  and  was  a  State  Senator 
in  1841,  1842  and  1861.  He  served  two  terms  in  Con- 
gress. For  many  years  he  was  a  prominent  Vermont 
Democrat,  being  elected  to  Congress  as  a  Representative 
of  that  party,  and  being  several  times  the  Democratic 
candidate  for  Governor.  Always  opposed  to  slavery,  he 
was  a  strong  sui)porter  of  the  Union  when  the  Civil 
War  broke  out  and  he  soon  affiliated  himself  with  the 
Republican  party.  From  1862  to  1865  he  served  as 
Lieutenant  Governor,  and  in  1865  he  was  elected  Gov- 
ernor, being  reelected  in  1866.  He  resumed  the  prac- 
tice of  law  after  retiring  from  office  and  continued  in 
his  profession  until  he  was  eighty  years  old.  He  was 
an  active  layman  in  the  Methodist  Church.     He  died  at 


The  Summit  of  Mount  Mansfield 


GROWIXc;    IIA'I'RED   OF  SLAVERY      331 

liis  home  in  Water  bury,  July  26,  1891.  One  son,  Wil- 
liam P.  Dillingham,  was  Governor  of  Vermont,  1888-90 
and  is  now  (1921)  a  United  States  Senator.  A  daugh- 
ter became  the  wife  of  Matthew  H,  Carpenter,  United 
States  Senator  from  Wisconsin. 

All  of  the  members  of  the  Congressional  delegation, 
elected  in  1842,  became  men  of  distinction,  who  are  num- 
bered among  Vermont's  most  famous  sons. 

In  his  annual  message  to  the  General  Assembly,  Gov- 
ernor Paine  called  attention  to  the  urgent  need  of  a  re- 
form in  the  system  of  State  accounting,  which  furnished 
opportunity  for  fraudulent  practices.  He  foresaw  the 
time  when  the  competition  of  the  West  would  seriously 
affect  the  sale  of  Vermont's  wool  product,  and  he  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  the  building  of  railroads  through 
the  State  would  be  an  aid  to  manufacturing.  He  de- 
clared: "Almost  unattainable  as  this  object  seems  at 
present  to  be,  I  do  not  at  all  despair  its  ultimate  accom- 
plishment." This  object  was  much  nearer  realization 
than  the  Governor  supposed  when  he  penned  these  words, 
and  his  own  energy  and  zeal  w-ere  to  contribute  power- 
fully toward  securing  railroad  facilities  for  V^ermont. 

The  Legislature  of  1842  revised  the  militia  law, 
adopted  resolutions  directing  the  Auditor  of  Accounts  to 
continue  an  investigation  into  the  defective  accounting 
system  in  the  Treasury  Department,  and  favoring  the 
repeal  of  the  National  Bankruptcy  Act.  New  York 
resolutions  calling  for  a  reduction  of  letter  postage  and 
a  correction  of  the  disparity  between  the  rates  on  letters 
and  other  postal  rates  were  approved.  A  resolution  was 
also  adopted,  providing  "That  the  Constitution  of  the 


332  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

United  States  ought  to  be  amended  so  as  to  prevent  the 
existence  and  maintenance  of  slavery  in  the  United 
States  in  any  form  or  manner." 

Gradually  public  opinion  in  Vermont  had  developed, 
until  it  was  ready  to  eradicate  the  evil,  root  and  branch. 
As  an  illustration,  however,  of  the  fact  that  human 
nature  does  not  change  radically  from  decade  to  decade, 
and  that  it  is  much  easier  to  condemn  an  evil  a  long  way 
from  home  than  it  is  to  view  with  broad  minded  tolera- 
tion affairs  that  disturb  one's  own  political  household, 
there  may  be  cited  the  attempt  during  the  legislative  ses- 
sion of  1842  to  oust  Chief  Judge  Charles  K.  Williams. 
Judge  Williams  had  permitted  the  use  of  his  name  as 
the  Abolition  candidate  for  Governor,  and  as  this  pro- 
ceeding was  supposed  to  endanger  the  success  of  the 
dominant  party,  some  of  the  Whigs  determined  to  dis- 
cipline him  by  defeating  him  for  reelection.  Accord- 
ingly Judge  Keyes  was  nominated  for  Chief  Judge,  and 
failed  of  election  by  only  three  votes. 

In  addition  to  electing  Ex-Governor  Crafts  United 
States  Senator  for  the  short  term  left  vacant  by  Judge 
Prentiss,  William  Upham  of  Montpelier  was  chosen  for 
the  long  term,  beginning  March  4,  1843.  The  vote  was, 
Upham  (Whig),  122;  William  C.  Bradley  (Dem.),  100; 
scattering,  6.  The  candidates  for  the  Whig  nomination 
included  Hon.  Horace  Everett  and  Hon.  Jacob  Collamer. 

William  Upham  was  born  in  Leicester,  Mass., 
August  5,  1792.  Ten  years  later  the  family  removed  to 
Vermont,  and  occupied  a  farm  in  Montpelier.  Young 
Upham  was  able  to  attend  only  the  winter  terms  of 
school  until,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  his  right  hand  was 


GROWLW.    HATRED  OF  SLAVERY      ;a'] 

crushed  in  a  cider  press,  necessitating  the  aniputaliun  of 
all  the  fingers.  Ueing  unfitted  fur  farm  labor  he  was 
permitted  to  attend  Montpelier  Academy,  and  to  study 
Latin  and  Greek  with  a  tutor,  lie  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  Samuel  Prentiss  and  in  1811  was  admitted  to 
the  bar,  forming  a  partnership  with  Nicholas  Baylies. 
He  represented  his  town  in  the  Legislature  in  1827-28 
and  in  1830.  He  was  State's  Attorney  of  Washington 
county  in  1829-30.  He  was  one  of  the  best  jury  lawyers 
in  Vermont,  a  master  of  eloquence  and  sarcasm,  mag- 
netic in  manner  and  impetuous  in  attack.  In  the  Harri- 
son campaign  of  1840  he  stumped  the  State  for  the  Whig 
ticket,  and  his  success  as  a  political  orator  no  doubt 
aided  materially  in  securing  his  election  to  the  Senate. 
He  was  reelected  in  1849  and  served  until  his  death, 
January  14,  1853.  His  service  was  during  a  notable 
period  of  American  history,  when  some  of  the  greatest 
of  American  statesmen  were  active  in  the  Senate.  The 
career  of  Senator  Upham  was  creditable  and  he  repre- 
sented with  ability  the  views  of  his  constituents  on  slav- 
ery, the  tariff  and  other  great  questions  of  that  period. 
On  the  opening  day  of  the  session,  December  5,  1842, 
Congressman  Everett  of  V^ermont  announced  his  inten- 
tion to  introduce  a  bill  repealing  the  national  bankruptcy 
law.  A  few  days  later  he  introduced  such  a  measure 
and  spoke  in  favor  of  the  repeal  of  the  act.  There  was 
great  dissatisfaction  with  the  law  and  Congress  was 
flooded  with  petitions  praying  for  its  repeal.  Mr. 
Everett's  bill  passed  the  House  with  a  slight  amendment 
but  was  defeated  in  the  Senate.  Later  the  Senate 
yielded  and  repealed  the  act.     Senator  Phelps  was  made 


334  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Revolutionary  Claims, 
served  on  Indian  Affairs  and  was  appointed  on  an  im- 
portant special  committee  to  consider  the  occupation  and 
settlement  of  Oregon  Territory.  In  the  House,  Mr. 
Hall  was  chairman  of  Revolutionary  Claims,  Mr.  Slade 
served  on  Manufactures;  Mr.  Everett,  on  Foreign 
Affairs ;  Mr.  Young,  on  Invalid  Pensions ;  and  Mr.  Mat- 
tocks, on  Roads  and  Canals.  On  March  2,  1843,  the 
House  refused  Mr.  Slade's  request  for. a  suspension  of 
the  rules  to  permit  him  to  present  the  resolutions  relat- 
ing to  slavery,  adopted  by  the  Vermont  Legislature. 

The  Whig  State  Convention  of  1843  nominated  Con- 
gressman John  Mattocks  of  Peacham  for  Governor  and 
elected  Harry  Bradley  of  Burlington  and  Gov.  Charles 
Paine  of  Northfield,  delegates-at-large  to  the  Whig 
National  Convention.  The  sentiment  of  the  convention 
was  in  favor  of  Henry  Clay  as  the  Presidential  candi- 
date. The  Democratic  State  Convention  nominated 
Daniel  Kellogg  of  Rockingham  as  its  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor and  elected  delegates  to  the  National  Convention 
favorable  to  the  nomination  of  Martin  Van  Buren  for 
President.  Chief  Justice  Williams  again  was  nomi- 
nated as  the  Anti-Slavery  candidate  for  Governor. 
There  was  no  election  of  Governor  by  the  people,  the  vote 
standing,  Mattocks,  24,465;  Kellogg,  21,982;  Williams, 
3,766;  scattering,  21.  There  was  a  Whig  majority  in 
both  branches  of  the  Legislature  and  John  Mattocks  was 
elected  Governor  in  joint  assembly. 

In  his  annual  message  Governor  Mattocks  made  a 
fierce  protest  against  the  slave  trade  in  the  District  of 
Columbia.     He  recommended  that  the  Legislature  pass 


(;k()\\  IXC.    MATRKI)   ol'    SLAVERY      385 

a  law  prohibiting^"  all  \  criiioiu  luagisiralcs  from  taking" 
cognizance  of,  or  acting  under,  the  national  fugitive 
slave  act  of  1793,  or  any  law  of  similar  import.  In  his 
judgment,  court  decisions  would  permit  such  a  course. 
He  also  recommended  a  law^  prohibiting  all  executive 
of^cers  of  the  State  from  arresting  or  detaining  in  jail 
any  person  claimed  as  a  fugitive  slave,  lie  believed  this 
"to  be  a  proper  mode  of  exhibiting  the  determination  of 
the  State  to  do  no  act  which  she  may  constitutionally 
omit  to  do,  to  countenance  the  institution  of  slavery." 
He  feared  that  Texas  would  be  annexed  to  the  United 
States  for  the  purpose  of  giving  a  preponderance  to  the 
slave  power,  adding:  "If  such  an  attempt  shall  succeed, 
then  woe  betide  our  unhappy  country.  Who  then  can 
ho])e  that  the  wrath  of  Heaven  can  be  longer  re- 
strained?" lie  announced  that  the  school  fund 
amounted  to  $211,234.95.  Of  this  sum,  $173,154  was 
due  on  loans  made  to  the  State  and  the  remainder  was 
due  on  loans  to  individuals. 

Responding  to  the  recommendation  made  by  Gov- 
ernor Mattocks,  the  Legislature  passed  a  ''Personal 
Liberty"  bill,  designed  as  a  protest  against  the  seizure  of 
fugitive  slaves.  Earlier  in  the  year  Massachusetts  had 
enacted  a  similar  measure.  Connecticut  passed  an  act 
of  the  same  general  nature  in  1844,  and  New  Hamp- 
shire followed  suit  in  1846,  Pennsylvania  in  1847  and 
Rhode  Island  in  1848.  The  Vermont  law  provided  that 
no  court  of  record  or  any  Judge  or  Magistrate,  acting 
under  the  authority  of  the  State,  hereafter  should  take 
cognizance  of  or  grant  a  certificate,  warrant  or  other 
process  to.  any  person  claiming  any  other  person  as  a 


336  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

fugitive  slave  in  the  State,  in  any  case  arising  under 
Section  3  of  an  act  of  Congress,  passed  February  12, 
1793,  entitled  "an  act  respecting  fugitives  from  justice 
and  persons  escaping  from  the  service  of  their  masters." 
This  bill  passed  the  House  by  a  vote  of  168  to  5,  and 
became  a  law.  Vermont  was  severely  criticised  by  the 
slave  States  and  by  many  others  whose  sympathies  were 
not  with  the  anti-slavery  cause.  It  was  called  a  "nullifi- 
cation" act,  and  a  denial  of  the  national  authority. 

Other  acts  of  the  Legislature  included  the  voting  of 
State  aid  to  county  agricultural  societies,  the  sum  of  two 
thousand  dollars  being  apportioned  according  to  the 
population  of  the  several  counties.  The  Vermont  Cen- 
tral Railroad  Company,  the  Connecticut  River  Railroad 
Company,  the  Brattleboro  &  Fitchburg  Railroad  Com- 
pany, and  the  New  York  &  Champlain  Steamboat  Com- 
pany, were  incorporated.  Resolutions  were  adopted 
protesting  against  ''any  attempt  for  the  annexation  of 
Texas  to  this  Union,"  as  a  measure  unconstitutional  and 
dangerous  to  the  Union  itself.  The  objection  was  the 
fact  that  such  annexation  would  enlarge  the  slave  hold- 
ing territory  of  the  United  States  and  increase  the  politi- 
cal power  of  the  slave  States.  Abolition  of  slavery  in 
the  District  of  Columbia  and  the  Territory  of  Florida 
were  urged  as  being  within  "the  province  and  constitu- 
tional powers  of  Congress."  The  right  of  petition  was 
regarded  as  sacred.  There  was  no  equivocation  in  the 
following  resolution,  setting  forth  Vermont's  opinion  re- 
garding slavery:  "Resolved:  That  we  desire  the 
speedy  abolition  of  slavery  throughout  the  whole  land : 
and  that  we  will  use  all  just  and  lawful  means  within 


OROWIXC;    irATREO   OF   SLAVERY      :VM 

our  power  lo  accomplish  that  end."  The  rights  of 
hal)eas  corpus  and  trial  by  jtu-y  were  declared  sacred 
and  in\iolal)le,  "and  cannot  lawfully  be  denied  to  any 
human  being  in  ihc  land,  irresj)eclive  of  color  or  con- 
dition." 

Senators  were  instructed  and  Representatives  re- 
quested '*to  resist  to  the  utmost  the  repeal  of  the  present 
revenue  laws."  It  was  asserted  that  "the  improvement 
in  the  business,  and  the  gradual  advance  in  the  prices  of 
the  products  of  the  country,  and  especially  in  the  great 
staple  of  Vermont  (wool),  affords  incontestable  evidence 
of  the  beneficial  effects  of  the  tariff  law." 

Public  opinion  in  Vermont  was  urgently  demanding 
railroad  connections  with  southern  New  England  and 
other  parts  of  the  country.  A  railroad  convention  was 
held  at  Brattleboro  on  December  5,  1843,  which  advo- 
cated the  extension  of  the  Boston  &  Fitchburg  Railroad 
to  that  village.  At  a  railroad  convention  held  at  Mont- 
pelier,  January  8.  1844,  a  committee  v^as  authorized  to 
cause  a  survey  to  be  made  from  the  Connecticut  River  to 
Lake  Champlain,  by  way  of  the  White  and  Onion 
(  Winooski)  Rivers  as  soon  as  the  necessary  funds  could 
be  raised.  There  was  a  sharp  contest,  which  continued 
after  railroads  actually  were  in  operation,  in  regard  to 
the  most  feasible  railroad  route  from  Boston  into  Ver- 
mont, between  the  routes  later  utilized  by  two  railroads, 
the  Central  A'ermont  and  the  Bellows  Falls  division  of 
the  Rutland.  The  Vcniwiit  Watchman  in  its  issue  of 
July  19,  1844,  announced  that  the  railroad  survey  from 
Burlington  to  the  Connecticut  River,  by  way  of  North- 
field,  had  been  completed.     A  controversy  was  waged 


338  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

over  the  location  of  the  Vermont  Central  route,  one 
faction  favoring  a  line  passing  through  Northfield,  and 
another,  which  included  the  citizens  of  Montpelier,  ad- 
vocating a  route  through  Williamstown  Gulf.  At  a 
meeting  of  the  board  of  directors,  held  in  Boston,  the 
Northfield  route  was  chosen,  the  estimates  submitted 
showing  that  this  route  would  cost  four  hundred  and 
twenty-three  thousand  dollars  less  than  that  through 
Williamstown. 

About  this  time  the  name  of  Cornelius  P.  Van  Ness 
was  under  consideration  for  a  vacancy  on  the  bench 
of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  but  he  failed  to 
receive  the  appointment,  although  he  had  many  powerful 
friends. 

At  the  opening  session  of  Congress,  in  December, 
1843,  Messrs.  Collamer,  Foot  and  Marsh  of  Vermont, 
with  fifty  others,  signed  a  protest  against  the  admission 
of  Representatives  from  New  Hampshire,  Georgia,  Mis- 
souri and  Mississippi,  on  the  ground  that  those  States 
had  not  chosen  members  of  Congress  by  districts,  as  the 
law  required.  In  the  Senate,  Mr.  Upham  was  made 
chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Agriculture,  an  unusual 
honor  for  a  new  member,  and  he  was  also  assigned  to  the 
Committee  on  Revolutionary  Claims.  Senator  Phelps 
was  made  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Patents  and  a 
member  of  the  Committees  on  Indian  Affairs  and  Claims. 
'I'he  members  of  the  House  were  assigned  as  follows: 
Collamer,  Manufactures;  Dillingham,  Judiciary;  Foot, 
Indian  Affairs;  Marsh,  Naval  Affairs. 

Early  in  the  session  Messrs.  Collamer  and  Dillingham 
participated  in  the  House  debates  and  Senator  Phelps 


c.kowixc;  iiA'JM>^Ei)  oi'  SLA\■ER^'     :>:i9 

made  an  able  speech  on  the  tarilY.  Judge  Collamer's  first 
speech  related  to  the  failure  of  certain  States  to  comply 
with  the  law  requiring  the  election  of  Congressmen  by 
districts.  On  April  29,  1844,  he  delivered  a  powerful 
speech  on  'AV'ool  and  Woolens,"  in  which  he  protested 
against  the  injustice  of  the  House  in  refusing  to  print 
the  minority  tariff  report  of  the  Committee  on  Ways 
and  Means,  after  twenty  thousand  copies  of  the  majority 
report  had  been  printed  for  distribution.  He  asserted 
that  Vermont  produced  more  wool  than  any  other  State 
except  New  York  and  three  times  as  much  as  New  York 
in  proportion  to  the  population.  Senator  Phelps  on 
April  3,  1844,  presented  memorials  from  Vermont 
remonstrating  against  the  proposed  reduction  of  the 
tariff  and  the  annexation  of  Texas,  saying  that  "on  both 
these  subjects  the  sentiment  of  the  people  of  that  State 
was,  without  distinction  of  party,  unanimously  against 
both  measures."  Senator  Upham  opposed  the  ratifica- 
tion of  the  treaty  providing  for  the  annexation  of  Texas. 
A  bill  reducing  the  tariff  was  laid  on  the  table  in  the 
House  (1844)  by  a  vote  of  105  to  99.  All  the  Vermont 
members  voted  yea  on  this  motion. 

The  Whig  'National  Convention  assembled  at  Balti- 
more, May  1,  1844.  The  Vermont  delegates  were  Harry 
Bradley  of  Burlington,  Charles  Paine  of  Northfield,  Cal- 
vin Townsley  of  Brattleboro,  Jedediah  H.  Harris  of 
Strafford,  John  Peck  of  Burlington  and  Erastus  Fair- 
Imnks  of  St.  Johnsbury.  Governor  Paine  was  one  of 
the  vice  presidents  of  the  convention. 

In  response  to  the  general  sentiment  of  the  Nation, 
Henry  Clay  was  nominated  by  acclamation  as  the  party's 


340  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

candidate  for  President.  On  the  fourth  ballot,  Theo- 
dore Frelinghuysen  of  New  Jersey  was  nominated  as 
the  Vice  Presidential  candidate.  On  the  first  ballot 
Vermont's  six  votes  were  cast  for  John  Davis  of  Massa- 
chusetts. The  vote  on  the  second  ballot  was,  Davis,  5 ; 
Millard  Fillmore  of  New  York,  1.  On  the  third  ballot 
Vermont's  vote  was  cast  as  follows:  Davis,  4;  Fill- 
more, 1;  Frelinghuysen,  1.  A  Young  Men's  Whig 
meeting  followed  immediately  after  the  National  Con- 
vention. In  the  parade  Governor  Paine  and  Senator 
Phelps  marched  at  the  head  of  the  Vermont  delegation. 
The  State  banner  was  of  white  satin,  in  the  center  of 
which  was  a  large  gold  star  and  under  it  the  words,  ''The 
star  that  never  sets."  The  Burlington  Clay  Club  carried 
banners  and  a  glee  club  sang  Whig  songs. 

The  Democratic  National  Convention  met  at  Balti- 
more, May  27,  1844.  The  Vermont  delegates  were 
William  C.  Bradley  of  Westminster,  Luther  B.  Hunt  of 
St.  Albans,  Charles  K.  Field  of  Newfane,  Charles  G. 
Eastman  of  Woodstock,  Wyllys  Lyman  of  Burlington 
and  David  P.  Noyes  of  Morristown.  L.  B.  Hunt  was 
vice  president  for  Vermont.  The  delegates  from  this 
State  were  instructed  for  Van  Buren.  On  the  first 
ballot  the  Vermont  vote  was,  Van  Buren,  5:  Cass,  L 
From  the  second  to  the  eighth  ballot,  inclusive,  Ver- 
mont's six  votes  went  to  Lewis  Cass,  and  on  the  ninth, 
and  last  ballot,  the  entire  delegation  voted  for  James 
K.  Polk,  who  was  nominated. 

One  of  the  interesting  features  of  both  Whig  and 
Democratic  conventions  was  tlie  use  of  the  new  tele- 
gra])h  line,  connecting  Baltimore  and  Washington,  by 


GROW  IXC.    HATRED   OF   SLA\Km'      :U1 

means  of  which  the  news  of  the  convention  was  trans- 
mitted to  the  national  capital.  Silas  Wright  of  New 
Vork,  whose  boyhood  was  spent  in  Vermont,  was  unani- 
mously nominated  as  the  Democratic  Vice  Presidential 
candidate,  but  declined  the  honor.  George  M.  Dallas 
of  Pennsylvania  was  thereupon  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

A  Tvler  Democratic  Convention  nominated  President 
Tyler.  The  Vermont  vice  president  of  the  convention 
was  O.  V.  Hollenbeck  and  one  of  its  secretaries  was 
J.  W.  Wilson  of  Vermont. 

Governor  Paine  spoke  briefly  at  a  great  Whig  meet- 
ing held  in  Faneuil  Hall,  Boston,  May  10,  which  was 
addressed  by  Webster.  The  Whig  State  Convention, 
held  at  Burlington,  July  26,  nominated  William  Slade  of 
Middlebury  for  Governor.  The  attendance  is  said  to 
have  been  at  least  ten  thousand.  The  Democratic  State 
Convention  held  at  Montpelier,  July  4,  renominated 
Daniel  Kellogg  of  Rockingham.  The  Anti-Slavery  or 
Liberty  party  nominated  William  R.  Shafter  of  Town- 
shend  for  Governor. 

The  Whig  ticket  was  elected  by  a  majority  somewhat 
larger  than  usual,  the  vote  being  as  follows:  Slade, 
28,265;  Kellogg,  20,930;  Shafter,  5,618;  scattering,  34. 
The  Anti-Slavery  vote  was  growing  rapidly  and  was  a 
force  to  be  reckoned  with.  The  Senate  was  composed 
of  twenty-one  Whigs  and  nine  Democrats.  In  the 
House  there  were  one  hundred  and  thirty-one  Whigs, 
sixty-six  Democrats,  eight  Abolitionists  and  thirty-three 
towns  unrepresented.  The  Democrats  led  in  Caledonia, 
Lamoille,  Orange  and  Washington  counties. 


342  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

In  the  November  election  Clay  carried  Vermont  by  a 
good  majority,  the  vote  by  counties  being  as  follows: 

Birney  and 

Clay  Polk         scattering 

Addison 2,527  772  314 

Bennington   1,656  1,451  145 

Caledonia    1,761  1,730  184 

Chittenden 1,929  1,449  390 

Essex 392  331                  18 

Franklin 1 ,872  1,438  261 

Grand  Isle 339  165                    0 

Lamoille 485  759  413 

Orange 2,076  1,910  417 

Orleans    1,192  833  247 

Rutland  3,584  1,578  334 

Washington    1,650  2,085  307 

Windham    2,642  1,703  385 

Windsor 4,669  1,843  539 

Total    26,770        18,041  3,984 

The  Democrats  led  in  Lamoille  and  Washington 
counties.  One  Whig  newspaper  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  this  vote  was  cast  after  the  returns  received 
made  it  practically  certain  that  Polk  was  elected.  At 
that  time  there  was  no  uniform  date  for  Presidential 
voting,  but  an  act  was  passed  by  Congress  in  1845  pro- 
viding that  Presidential  Electors  should  be  voted  for  on 
the  same  day  in  all  States  of  the  Union. 

The  Vermont  Electors  chosen  were  Jedediah  H.  Har- 
ris  of   Strafford,   Carlos   Coolidge   of    Windsor,   John 


(;r()\\ix(;  hatred  of  slax'Ern'    'm:\ 

P^eck  of  iiurlington,  lienjaniin  Swift  of  St.  Albans,  Cal- 
vin Townsley  of  Brattleboro  and  Erastus  Fairbanks  of 
St.  Johnsbury.  The  vote  of  V^ermont  was  cast  for  Clay 
and  F^relinghuysen. 

In  the  First  Congressional  district  Solomon  Foot  was 
reelected  by  1,813  majority.  Jacob  Collamer  was  chosen 
again  in  the  Second  district  by  a  majority  of  1,290.  In 
the  Third  district,  George  P.  Marsh  w^as  returned,  his 
majority  being  1,531.  In  the  Fourth  district  Paul  Dil- 
lingham (Dem.)  led,  but  there  was  no  choice.  In  the 
second  election  Chandler,  the  Whig  candidate,  gained, 
but  there  was  no  choice.  On  the  third  trial,  January 
4,  1845,  Dillingham  was  reelected. 

The  Legislature,  on  October  24,  reelected  Senator 
Samuel  S.  Phelps  on  the  ninth  ballot,  the  vote  standing, 
Phelps,  120;  Stephen  S.  Brown  (Dem.),  72;  George  P. 
Marsh,  21;  Charles  K.  Williams,  9;  W^illiam  Slade,  4; 
scattering,  2. 

The  House  organized  by  reelecting  Andrew  Tracy  of 
Woodstock  as  Speaker.  Governor  Slade's  message  was 
very  long.  He  emphasized  the  need  of  better  school 
houses  and  better  teachers.  He  recommended  that  the 
power  of  issuing  licenses  for  the  sale  of  liquor  "for  the 
common  benefit"  should  not  remain  with  the  courts,  but 
should  be  brought  nearer  to  the  people.  He  argued  at 
length  against  the  annexation  of  Texas,  which,  he 
asserted,  was  a  foreign  nation,  the  policy  being  designed 
to  sustain  the  cause  of  slavery.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  Governor  Slade  was  one  of  the  most  radical  anti- 
slavery  Whigs  in  America,  and  the  extreme  position 
which  he  took  probably  was  more  pronounced  than  that 


344  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

of  the  rank  and  file  of  Vermonters.  On  the  subject  of  the 
proposed  annexation  of  Texas  he  said :  "Upon  the  con- 
summation of  the  threatened  measure  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  say  that  it  would  be  the  duty  of  Vermont  to  declare 
her  unalterable  determination  to  have  no  connection  with 
the  new  union  thus  formed  without  her  consent  and 
against  her  will.  To  carry  out  this  determination  would 
not  be  to  dissolve  the  Union,  but  to  refuse  to  submit  to 
its  dissolution — not  to  nullify,  but  to  resist  nullification. 
I  do  not  undervalue  the  Union.  I  greatly  value  and 
would  preserve  it.  But  it  is  the  Union  of  which  the 
present  Constitution  is  a  bond.  If  the  question  were 
properly  submitted  to  Vermont,  whether  she  w^ould  come 
into  a  new  union,  we  would  deliberate  upon  it;  but  the 
question  whether  we  will  submit  to  be  forced  into  it 
under  pretence  of  a  power  to  do  so  which  does  not  exist, 
is  not  to  be  debated  for  a  moment,  any  more  than  we 
would  debate  the  question  of  submission  to  a  foreign 
yoke."  Texas  was  annexed,  and  Governor  Slade  and 
Vermont  remained  in  the  Union.  This  message,  writ- 
ten, no  doubt,  amid  great  excitement,  when  there  existed 
in  this  State  and  elsewhere  a  justifiable  feeling  of  indig- 
nation over  the  encroachments  of  the  slave  power,  is  not 
altogether  pleasant  reading  on  account  of  its  similarity 
to  the  extreme  State  Rights  doctrines  of  the  South, 
which  led  to  actual  secession.  Vermont  never  seriously 
contemplated  any  step  which  would  weaken  the  ties 
which  bound  it  to  the  sisterhood  of  States,  and  this  utter- 
ance of  Governor  Slade  is  valuable  only  as  an  illustration 
of  the  depth  of  feeling  against  slavery  which  existed  in 
this  commonwealth  at  that  time. 


GROWING   HATRED  OF  SLAX^ERV      :^4r) 

The  Legislature  of  1844  authorized  a  geological  sur- 
vey and  appropriated  annually  for  three  years  the  sum 
of  two  thousand  dollars.  The  Governor  was  requested 
to  demand  of  the  United  States  the  brass  cannon  taken 
by  the  Green  Mountain  Boys  at  the  battle  of  Bennington. 

It  was  declared  by  the  Legislature  that  the  tariff  act 
of  August  30,  1842,  had  "proved  highly  beneficial  to  the 
citizens  of  Vermont,"  and  criticised  James  K.  Polk  for 
his  opposition  to  a  protective  tariff.  This  resolution  was 
adopted  by  a  vote  of  130  to  13.  It  was  further  declared, 
by  a  vote  of  119  to  55,  that  the  distribution  of  the  public 
lands  was  due  as  an  act  of  justice  to  the  States  and  was 
necessary  to  the  permanency  of  the  protective  system. 

A  resolution  was  adopted,  by  a  vote  of  120  to  48. 
opposing  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  declaring  that 
such  an  act  "would  be  unconstitutional,  inexpedient  and 
unjust."  It  was  further  "Resolved,  That,  in  the  name 
of  our  constituents,  and  ourselves,  we  hereby  solemnly 
protest  against,  and  declare  the  hostility  of  the  State  of 
Vermont  to  such  annexation,  and  request  our  Senators 
and  Representatives  in  Congress  to  use  their  exertions  to 
prevent  its  being  consummated."  The  Legislature  fur- 
ther declared,  "That  we  regard  the  institution  of  slavery 
as  a  monstrous  anomaly  in  a  free  government,  and  as 
the  source  of  intolerable  evils,  *  *  *  ^j^^j  ^-j^^^  ^^^ 
therefore,  protest  against  its  extension  over  another  foot 
of  territory,  and  insist  upon  its  restriction  to  the  nar- 
rowest limits  consistent  with  the  spirit  of  the  original 
compact  between  the  States."  Beyond  question  the 
spirit  of  Vermont  was  expressed  in  these  resolutions, 
which  neither  blustered  nor  threatened,  but  spoke  with 


846  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

all  the  force  which  the  English  language  and  the  New 
England  conscience  would  permit. 

The  voices  of  Vermont's  Senators  and  Representatives 
were  raised  against  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  all 
Vermont's  votes,  with  the  exception  of  that  of  Congress- 
man Dillingham,  were  cast  against  the  annexation  reso- 
lution. 

Each  one  of  the  three  candidates  for  Governor,  in 
1844,  was  renominated  in  1845,  and  the  size  of  the  Anti- 
Slavery  vote  threw  the  election  into  the  Legislature. 
The  result  of  the  popular  vote  for  Governor  was: 
Slade,  22,770;  Kellogg,  18,594;  Shafter,  6,534;  scatter- 
ing, 362.  In  joint  assembly  Governor  Slade  was  re- 
elected, receiving  132  votes,  while  Mr.  Kellogg  received 
75  and  Mr.  Shafter,  14.  Ebenezer  N.  Briggs  of  Bran- 
don was  elected  Speaker. 

Governor  Slade's  message  again  was  a  long  document. 
He  criticised  the  educational  policy  of  the  State,  particu- 
larly the  lack  of  school  supervision.  He  called  attention 
to  the  fact  that  in  1825  the  foundation  of  a  school  fund 
was  established,  when  an  act  was  passed  sequestering 
and  granting  to  the  various  towns  the  amount  of  the 
avails  of  the  Vermont  State  Bank,  accrued  and  to  accrue ; 
also  the  amount  of  the  State  bonds  accruing  from  a  6 
per  cent  tax  on  the  net  profits  of  the  banks,  and  the 
amount  received  from  peddlers'  licenses.  The  State 
borrowed  from  this  fund  for  the  erection  of  the  second 
State  House  and  for  other  purposes.  There  was  due 
from  the  State,  $224,309.50,  and  from  individuals, 
$10,590.94,  a  total  of  $234,900.44.  The  advisability  of 
continuing  the  fund  was  a  matter  that  must  be  deter- 


GROWING   HATRED   OF  SLAVERY      'Ml 

mined.  Under  the  terms  by  which  it  was  established 
it  could  not  be  appropriated  until  it  was  large  enough  to 
defray  the  expenses  of  a  good  common  school  in  each 
district  of  the  State  during  two  months  of  each  year. 
The  Governor  estimated  that  the  provision  would  re- 
quire at  least  two  million  dollars,  which  sum  at  com- 
pound interest  would  not  be  available  before  the  year 
1878.  He  favored  the  abolition  of  the  fund.  He  did 
not  approve  conditions  in  the  county  jails,  where  the 
prisoners  had  neither  employment  nor  exercise,  and  he 
recommended  better  conditions  and  employment.  He 
announced  that  under  the  terms  of  the  act  providing 
for  a  State  Geologist,  he  had  appointed  Prof.  Charles  B. 
Adams  of  Middlebury. 

Again  he  objected  to  the  annexation  of  Texas,  express- 
ing the  fear  that  if  the  policy  of  foreign  annexation 
were  to  prevail,  Vermont  would  become  an  appendage  of 
**a  vast  slave  empire."  If  this  policy  succeeded  it  would 
be  the  duty  of  Vermont  to  go  to  the  very  verge  of  our 
constitutional  power  to  effect  the  abolition  of  slavery, 
as  *the  chief  evil  of  our  country,  and  the  great  crime  of 
our  age'."  He  protested  against  the  policy  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury,  which  favored  a  tariff  for  revenue 
only  with  incidental  protection. 

Following  the  Governor's  suggestion,  the  State  school 
fund  was  abolished,  a  policy  which  the  Democrats  were 
not  slow  to  use  in  their  attacks  upon  the  Whig  admin- 
istration. A  new  school  law  was  passed,  in  which  pro- 
vision was  made  for  town  and  county  superintendents 
of  schools  and  a  State  Superintendent  of  Education. 
One  or  three  town  superintendents  might  be  elected  in 


348  PIISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

town  meeting.  The  county  superintendents  were  to  be 
appointed  by  the  Judges  of  the  county  courts,  and  the 
State  Superintendent  was  to  be  elected  by  the  joint 
assembly.  The  Vermont  &  Canada  and  the  Western 
Vermont  Railroad  Companies  were  incorporated.  A 
resolution  was  adopted  protesting  against  the  annexation 
of  Texas  "without  the  consent  of  each  and  every  State 
of  the  Union." 

January  28,  1846,  is  an  important  date  in  Vermont 
history,  because  on  that  day  ground  was  broken  on  the 
Vermont  Central  line  at  Northfield,  this  being  the  first 
railroad  construction  begun  in  the  State.  At  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  in  the  presence  of  an  assemblage  esti- 
mated at  three  thousand  persons,  President  Charles 
Paine  and  the  contractor  dug  the  first  shovelfuls  of  earth, 
"d.  few  rods  west  of  the  meeting  house  at  the  Factory 
village,"  amid  the  cheering  of  the  people,  the  ringing  of 
bells  and  the  firing  of  one  hundred  rounds  from  two  six- 
pounder  guns.  A  public  dinner  was  served  at  the  North- 
field  House  and  Ex-Governor  Paine  was  toasted  as  "the 
man  to  whom  the  people  of  Vermont  are  more  indebted 
than  to  another  for  the  success  of  the  Central  Rail- 
road." President  Paine  responded,  saying  that, 
although  a  member  of  the  committee  to  decide  the  choice 
of  route,  he  had  never  availed  himself  of  the  privilege 
of  voting  upon  this  question.  He  attributed  the  success 
of  the  enterprise,  in  great  measure,  to  the  connection 
with  the  Fitchburg  road,  which  had  chosen  the  Central 
route  in  preference  to  any  other.  The  Montpclier 
Watchman  defended  the  action  of  the  board  of  directors 
in  choosing  the  Northfield  route,  although  naturally  it 


GROWING   HATRED  OF  SLA\^ERY      1349 

had  hoped  that  the  W'iUiainstown  route  niig-ht  be  selected, 
passing  through  the  State  capital,  and  it  showed  that 
three  surveys  had  indicated  that  the  Northfield  line  was 
the  more  feasible. 

Work  was  begun  on  the  roadbed  at  Richmond,  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1846,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of 
people.  During  the  summer  of  that  year  more  than 
t\\o  thousand  laborers  were  employed  in  construction 
work  on  the  Vermont  Central  (later  known  as  the  Cen- 
tral Vermont)  line. 

Ground  was  broken  for  the  Rutland  Railroad  on  Jan- 
uary 28,  1847.  Apparently  there  was  considerable 
rivalry  between  the  Central  and  Rutland  Railroads. 
The  first  regular  passenger  train  in  Vermont  was  run 
over  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad  from  the  mouth  of 
the  White  River  (now  White  River  Junction)  to  Bethel, 
a  distance  of  twenty-seven  miles,  on  June  26,  1848. 
Three  cars  were  filled  with  passengers,  and  among  them 
was  Abbott  Lawrence,  Boston's  well-known  business 
man  and  capitalist,  with  members  of  his  family.  At 
Bethel  a  dinner  was  served,  after  which  Mr.  Lawrence 
addressed  "the  assembled  multitude." 

The  coming  of  the  railroad  to  Bellows  Falls  on  New- 
Year 's  Day,  1849,  w-as  described  in  the  Bellows  Falls 
Ga-zette  of  January  4,  under  the  caption,  "The  Cars 
Have  Come,"  in  the  following  words:  "On  Monday. 
January  1,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  some,  and  grati- 
fication of  all,  the  first  train  of  cars  ever  seen  in  this 
vicinity  passed  over  the  Cheshire  road,  and  Sullivan,  to 
Charlestown.  No.  4.  (The  old  fort  at  Charlestow^n, 
N.  H.,  erected  in  Colonial  days,  was  known  as  Number 


350  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Four. )  The  day  was  fine  and  a  great  assembly  of  people 
had  collected  here  to  witness  the  grand  entree  of  the  Iron 
Horse.  The  engine  came  up  in  grand  style  and  when 
opposite  our  village  the  monster  gave  one  of  its  most 
savage  yells,  frightening  men,  women  and  children  con- 
siderable and  bringing  forth  deafening  howls  from  all 
the  dogs  in  the  neighborhood." 

On  January  31,  1849,  the  Sullivan  (N.  H.)  Railroad 
and  the  southern  division  of  the  Vermont  Central  were 
opened  to  Windsor.  At  noon  the  Central  train  arrived 
at  Windsor  with  three  hundred  passengers  from  Bur- 
lington, Montpelier,  Randolph  and  other  towns  along  the 
route.  At  4  P.  M.  a  train  of  eleven  cars,  drawn  by  two 
locomotives,  arrived  from  the  south,  bringing  approxi- 
mately one  thousand  persons  from  Keene,  Fitchburg, 
Boston  and  intermediate  stations.  Probably  five  thou- 
sand persons  were  assembled,  and  the  event  was  cele- 
brated by  the  ringing  of  bells,  the  firing  of  cannon  and 
the  cheers  of  the  people.  A  dinner  was  served  by  the 
residents  of  Windsor. 

On  February  5,  trains  began  to  run  from  North  field 
to  Boston  by  way  of  the  Sullivan,  Cheshire,  Vermont 
and  Massachusetts  and  Fitchburg  Railroads.  On  June 
20,  the  road  was  opened  to  Montpelier.  The  formal 
opening  of  the  Vermont  &  Massachusetts  road  to  Brat- 
tleboro  took  place  on  February  20,  1849.  The  Rutland 
&  Burlington  Railroad  was  opened  from  Burlington  to 
vSalisbury  on  September  20.  Work  was  carried  on  from 
Bellows  Falls  toward  Rutland  and  the  line  was  opened 
in  December,  1849.     During  the  summer  of  1849,  before 


GROWING   HATRED   OF  SLAVERY      351 

the  mountain  division  was  completed,  passengers  were 
carried  over  the  mountain  from  Ludlow  in  stages. 

The  Connecticut  &  Passumpsic  Rivers  Railroad  Com- 
pany was  organized  January  15,  1846,  with  Erastus 
Fairbanks  of  St.  Johnsbury  as  president,  amid  the  usual 
demonstrations. 

There  was  much  rivalry  between  the  Vermont  Cen- 
tral and  Rutland  Companies  to  determine  which  line 
should  reach  Burlington  first  with  a  train  from  Boston. 
The  Rutland  w^on  by  about  two  weeks,  opening  its  line 
on  December  18.  Trains  from  Burlington  and  Boston, 
with  directors  and  other  officials  on  board,  met  on  the 
summit  of  the  pass  at  Mount  Holly,  where  the  last  spike 
had  been  driven  only  a  few  hours  before.  A  cannon  was 
fired  in  honor  of  the  occasion.  Nathan  Rice  of  Boston, 
active  in  building  the  Rutland  Railroad,  had  brought  a 
bottle  of  water  from  Boston  harbor,  and  this  was 
mingled  with  water  from  Lake  Champlain,  Mr.  Rice 
proposing  the  health  of  President  Timothy  Follett  of  the 
Rutland  Railroad  Company.  Judge  Follett  responded, 
toasting  Mr.  Rice  and  William  B.  Gilbert,  the  chief 
engineer.  It  is  reported  that  bottles  containing  stronger 
waters  were  opened,  the  contents  of  which  were  not 
spilled,  and  tradition  says  that  a  barrel  of  New  England 
rum  was  provided  for  the  crowd  assembled.  The  two 
trains  were  united  here  and  were  drawn  by  a  flag- 
decorated  engine,  named  Mount  Holly. 

A  stop  was  made  at  Brandon,  where  tables  had  been 
spread  with  a  bountiful  luncheon  by  the  good  women 
of  that  village.  At  Middlebury  and  Vergennes,  cheers 
and  the  firing  of  cannon  greeted  the  arrival  of  the  train. 


352  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

When  Burlington  was  reached,  the  officials  proceeded  to 
the  south  wharf,  where  Judge  Foote  poured  water  from 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  into  Lake  Champlain.  Speeches 
were  made  by  Lieut.  Gov.  Robert  Pierpoint,  Mr.  Rice, 
David  A.  Smalley  and  others.  Two  years  had  elapsed 
since  ground  was  broken  for  the  Rutland  Railroad  and 
only  seven  months,  since  the  first  rails  were  laid.  The 
Vermont  Central  was  opened  as  far  as  Winooski  on  the 
morning  of  December  31,  1849. 

There  was  considerable  controversy  concerning  the 
building  of  bridges  over  a  portion  of  Lake  Champlain 
at  Rouses  Point,  N.  Y.,  giving  the  Vermont  &  Canada 
a  railroad  connection  with  northern  New  York,  and  inci- 
dentally opening  a  route  from  northern  New  England  to 
the  Great  Lakes  and  the  West.  This  was  finally  brought 
about,  after  much  newspaper  discussion,  and  no  little 
opposition  from  what  the  newspapers  described  as  a 
combination  of  Rutland,  Passumpsic  and  Lake  Cham- 
plain interests. 

The  telegraph  and  the  railroads  came  to  Vermont 
almost  simultaneously.  The  construction  of  the  Troy 
and  Canada  Junction  telegraph  line  was  begun  in  1847, 
was  completed  as  far  as  Burlington,  was  first  used  on 
February  2,  1848,  and  was  soon  extended  to  Montreal. 
The  Vermont  and  Boston  Telegraph  Company  was  in- 
corporated November  11,  1848,  and  the  line  from  Bos- 
ton to  White  River  Junction  was  completed  in  October, 
1851. 

Congressman  Dillingham  (Dem.)  was  the  only  Ver- 
mont member  in  the  House  to  support  the  bill  declaring 
war  with  Mexico.     Governor  Slade  announced,  on  June 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   353 

1,  1846,  that  "the  voluntary  offer  of  service  of  those  who 
may  be  disposed  to  engage  in  this  war  (with  Mexico) 
will  be  accepted  to  an  extent  sufficient  to  form  one  bat- 
talion of  five  companies  of  infantry."  This  was  not  in 
the  nature  of  an  enthusiastic  call  to  arms,  but  knowing 
Governor  Slade's  views  on  this  and  kindred  subjects,  one 
may  readily  imagine  that  even  this  task  was  not  alto- 
gether agreeable.  Such  comment  in  no  sense  is  to  be 
considered  a  reflection  on  Governor  Slade's  patriotism. 
The  war  with  Mexico  was  distinctly  unpopular  in  Ver- 
mont, because  it  was  earnestly  believed  by  thousands  of 
honest  men  and  women  to  be  a  war  brought  about  to  add 
slave  territory  to  the  United  States,  and  to  increase  the 
representation  of  slaveholding  States  in  Congress. 
While  Governor  Slade's  zeal  at  times  may  have  outrun 
his  discretion,  his  warfare  upon  slavery  will  be  counted 
to  his  credit,  and  the  blows  he  struck  at  the  institution 
were  neither  few  nor  ineffective. 

Truman  B.  Ransom,  president  of  Norwich  University, 
and  prominent  in  Democratic  State  politics,  resigned  his 
presidency  at  the  outbreak  of  the  w^ar  to  accept  a  com- 
mission as  Major  in  the  Ninth,  or  New  England  regi- 
ment, of  W'hich  Franklin  Pierce  of  New  Hampshire  was 
Colonel.  Pierce  was  a  friend  of  Major  Ransom,  being 
a  trustee  of  Norwich.  Ransom  was  promoted  soon  to 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel,  and  when  Colonel 
Pierce  was  made  Brigadier  General,  succeeded  him  in 
command  of  the  Ninth  regiment.  In  the  opinion  of 
many  persons,  Ransom,  with  his  superior  knowledge  of 
military  afifairs  and  his  experience  in  commanding  men, 


354  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

rather  than  Pierce,  who  lacked  these  quaHties,  should 
have  been  given  the  higher  rank. 

Edgar  A.  Kimball,  editor  of  the  Woodstock  Spirit  of 
The  Age,  was  appointed  Captain  of  the  Vermont  com- 
pany, which  consisted  of  eighty-four  men  recruited  from 
more  than  thirty  towns.  E.  B.  Kellogg,  a  division  engi- 
neer on  the  Passumpsic  Railroad,  was  made  First  Lieu- 
tenant, and  the  Second  Lieutenants  were  Jesse  A.  Gove, 
a  Norwich  cadet,  and  Robert  Hopkins.  Dean  Fairbanks 
of  Woodstock  was  Sergeant  Major.  The  company 
formed  a  part  of  Colonel  Ransom's  regiment,  which  was 
attached  to  Pierce's  brigade,  of  Pillow's  division,  in 
General  Scott's  army.  Colonel  Ransom  was  com- 
mended by  General  Scott  for  the  good  discipline  and  con- 
duct of  his  regiment,  and  for  his  skill  in  handling  troops. 
He  served  with  distinction  in  the  battles  of  Contreras 
and  Churubusco,  and  was  selected  to  lead  the  assault, 
September  13,  1847,  on  the  west  side  of  the  hill,  on  the 
summit  of  which  was  the  fortress  of  Chapultepec.  In 
a  dash  across  an  open  space,  about  half  way  up  the  hill, 
between  a  cypress  forest  known  as  Montezuma's  Grove, 
and  the  fortress.  Colonel  Ransom,  while  leading  his  regi- 
ment, was  shot  through  the  head  by  a  bullet  and  instantly 
killed.  The  soldiers  pushed  forward  and  occupied  the 
outer  walls  of  the  fortress.  There  was  delay  in  getting 
scaling  ladders,  and  Sergeant  Major  Fairbanks  of  Ver- 
mont, seizing  two  bayonets,  thrust  them  into  fissures  in 
the  wall.  Climbing  on  these  improvised  steps,  Fair- 
banks and  Captain  Kimball  are  said  to  have  been  the 
first  to  reach  the  roof  and  lower  the  Mexican  colors 
from  the  Bishop's  Palace.     It  is  also  claimed  that  Maj. 


GROWING   HATRED   OF  SLAVERY      35r) 

Thomas  H.  Seymour,  a  Norwich  graduate,  was  the  first 
to  enter  the  citadel.  The  Ninth  regiment  appears  to 
have  been  first  to  enter  the  fortress.  Colonel  Ransom 
was  buried  in  a  cemetery  at  Mexico,  the  Vermont  com- 
pany acting  as  escort. 

In  an  official  report,  Captain  Kimball  mentioned  the 
names  of  fourteen  men  who  died  in  army  hospitals  and 
one  man  who  was  discharged  on  account  of  the  loss  of 
an  arm.  This  report  says  the  men  of  the  Vermont  com- 
pany were  engaged  in  "all  the  battles  of  the  valley,"  and 
adds,  "A  braver  set  of  fellows  never  existed.  It  is  the 
only  company  from  its  State,  and  all  belonging  to  it  feel 
it." 

Lieut.  Col.  Martin  Scott,  a  native  of  Bennington,  a 
graduate  of  the  United  States  Military  Academy,  and  a 
famous  sharpshooter,  serving  in  General  Worth's  divi- 
sion, was  killed  in  the  battle  before  Mexico.  He  had 
been  promoted  for  meritorious  conduct  at  Palo  Alto. 

Several  Vermonters  were  in  the  service  during  the 
Mexican  War,  who  were  not  attached  to  the  New  Eng- 
land regiment,  most  of  them  being  in  the  regular  army. 
Col.  Ethan  Allen  Hitchcock,  a  native  of  Vermont  and  a 
grandson  of  the  Hero  of  Ticonderoga,  acted  as  Inspector 
General  for  General  Scott.  He  w^as  one  of  the  busiest 
men  in  the  army,  and  his  position  was  one  of  great  re- 
sponsibility. A  letter  to  the  Mexican  people,  written 
by  General  Hitchcock,  was  distributed  by  thousands 
along  the  line  of  march.  It  was  designed  to  state  the 
American  side  of  the  controversy  and  to  allay  the  fears 
of  the  Mexicans.  Col.  Sylvester  Churchill  held  the  posi- 
tion of  Inspector  General.     Col.   Henry  Stanton  was 


356  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Assistant  Quartermaster  General.  Lieut.  Col.  Gustavas 
Loomis  of  the  Sixth  Infantry,  Lieut.  Col.  Thomas  Stan- 
niford  of  the  Eighth  Infantry,  First  Lieut.  John  W. 
Phelps  of  the  First  Artillery,  First  Lieut.  Israel  B. 
Richardson  of  the  Third  Infantry,  Second  Lieut.  W.  F. 
Smith  of  the  Topographical  Engineers,  and  First  Lieut. 
Benjamin  Alvord  of  the  Fourth  Infantry,  were  among 
the  Vermonters  who  saw  service  in  Mexico.  Phelps, 
Richardson  and  Smith  won  distinction  in  the  Civil  War, 
Alvord  was  later  Paymaster  General  of  the  Army. 
Capt.  Lucien  B.  Webster  of  the  First  Artillery  was  ap- 
pointed Major  by  brevet  for  meritorious  conduct  at 
Monterey.  Charles  Taplin  of  Montpelier,  who  accom- 
panied Col.  John  C.  Fremont  on  two  expeditions  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  was  made  a  Lieutenant.  Gen. 
Rush  C.  Hawkins,  as  a  lad,  crossed  the  country  to  enlist 
in  the  service  in  Mexico.  This  is  not  a  complete  list  of 
Vermont  officers  engaged  in  the  Mexican  War,  but  is 
taken  largely  from  newspapers  of  the  Mexican  War 
period. 

Colonel  Ransom's  body  was  disinterred  and  brought 
to  Vermont.  The  funeral  was  held  at  Norwich  on 
Washington's  Birthday,  1848.  The  body  was  con- 
ducted from  Hanover,  N.  H.,  to  the  State  line  under 
escort  of  two  companies  of  New  Hampshire  militia,  and 
was  met  by  two  companies  of  Vermont  militia.  The 
funeral  services  were  conducted  by  Rev.  James  D.  Butler, 
acting  president  of  Norwich  University.  Adjutant 
General  Hopkins  of  the  State  military  department  de- 
livered the  eulogy. 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   357 

Resolutions  deploring  the  death  of  Colonel  Ransom, 
praising  his  gallantry  and  authorizing  the  Governor  to 
purchase  a  sword  of  honor  to  present  to  the  family  of 
the  gallant  officer,  were  adopted  by  the  Vermont  Legis- 
lature in  1847.  On  the  evening  of  October  30,  1848,  this 
sword  was  presented  to  Colonel  Ransom's  son,  Dunbar 
S.  Ransom,  a  cadet  at  West  Point,  in  the  presence  of 
Governor  Coolidge  and  other  State  officers. 

About  four  thousand  rifles  for  use  in  the  Mexican 
War  were  manufactured  by  Robbins  &  Lawrence  at 
Windsor. 

Senator  Upham  offered  an  amendment  to  the  bill 
appropriating  three  million  dollars  to  enable  the  Presi- 
dent to  conclude  a  treaty  of  peace  w4th  Mexico,  provid- 
ing that  slavery  should  be  forever  prohibited  in  all  the 
territory  acquired  from  Mexico.  This  amendment  was 
defeated  by  a  vote  of  21  to  31.  Senator  Upham  voted 
against  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  of  peace  with 
Mexico.  Senator  Phelps  was  absent  on  account  of  ill- 
ness. Peace  was  declared  in  May,  1848,  soon  after 
which  the  Vermont  company  was  disbanded  and  the 
men  returned  to  their  homes. 

In  1845  and  1846  Postmaster  Palmer  of  Brattlebdro 
is  said  to  have  issued  the  first  printed  postage  stamps 
ever  used.  They  were  printed  in  black  ink  on  a  light 
buff*  paper.  A  few  post-offices,  including  those  at  New 
York  City  and  Providence,  R.  I.,  were  permitted  to  make 
the  experiment,  but  Brattleboro's  issue  is  claimed  to 
have  been  the  first,  and  collectors  pay  fabulous  prices 
for  the  few  Brattleboro  stamps  available. 


358  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Governor  Slade  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  reelec- 
tion, having  accepted  an  appointment  as  secretary  and 
general  agent  of  the  Central  Committee  for  National 
Education,  the  duties  of  which  were  to  secure  teachers 
in  the  East  for  schools  in  the  West,  and  the  task  took 
him  out  of  the  State.  Congressmen  Foot  and  Dilling- 
ham also  announced  that  they  would  not  again  be 
candidates. 

The  Whigs,  in  1846,  nominated  Horace  Eaton  of 
Enosburg  for  Governor  and  Leonard  Sargent  of  Man- 
chester for  Lieutenant  Governor,  at  a  convention  held 
on  June  25.  The  platform  declared  the  annexation  of 
Texas  to  be  "a  foul  blot  on  the  Nation,"  but  added: 
"The  enemies  of  our  country  are  our  enemies,  and  when- 
ever that  country  is  involved  in  war,  we  hold  it  to  be 
the  first  duty  of  every  patriot  to  sustain  the  adminis- 
tration in  its  defense;  and  its  next,  to  hold  that  admin- 
istration to  a  strict  accountability,  if  it  shall  involve  us 
in  war  without  cause,  or  conduct  it  with  dishonor." 
This  declaration  was  made  a  little  more  than  a  month 
after  war  was  declared.  Evidently  the  Whigs  had 
learned  a  lesson  from  the  Federalists,  and  did  not  pro- 
pose to  repeat  the  mistakes  of  the  period  of  the  War  of 
1812.  A  resolution  was  adopted,  extending  thanks  to 
General  Taylor  ''and  his  gallant  troops  for  the  ability, 
patriotism  and  bravery  so  efficiently  displayed  in  the  con- 
duct of  the  Texan  War."  The  Walker  tariflf  act  was 
condemned.  This  act  materially  reduced  tariff  protec- 
tion and  passed  the  Senate  only  by  the  casting  vote  of 
Vice  President  Dallas.  One  Whig  Senator  from  Ten- 
nessee, who  spoke  against  the  bill,  voted  for  it  because 


GROWING   HATRED   OF  SLAVERY      359 

the  State  Legislature  had  instructed  him  to  do  so. 
Although  Congressman  Dillingham  did  not  vote  directly 
for  this  tariff  measure,  he  voted  to  concur  in  the  Senate 
amendments,  which  saved  the  measure  from  defeat  on 
account  of  a  disagreement  of  the  two  Houses;  and  the 
Vermont  IVatchman  printed  his  name  in  "The  Black 
List  of  New  England,"  with  the  members  from  that  sec- 
tion who  had  made  the  passage  of  the  bill  possible. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention  nominated  John 
Smith  of  St.  Albans  for  Governor  and  Truman  B.  Ran- 
som of  Norwich  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 

There  was  no  clear  majority  for  any  candidate  for 
Governor  and  the  election  was  thrown  into  the  Legisla- 
ture. The  popular  vote  was  as  follows :  Horace  Eaton 
(Whig),  23,644;  John  Smith  (Dem.),  17,877;  Law- 
rence Brainerd  (Free  Soil),  7,118;  scattering,  64.  In 
joint  assembly,  Eaton  was  elected,  receiving  136  votes, 
while  Smith  received  75,  and  Brainerd  11.  In  the 
Senate  the  vote  was  divided  as  follows:  Whigs,  22; 
Democrats,  6;  Free  Soilers,  2.  In  the  House,  the 
division  was :  Whigs,  112;  Democrats,  65 ;  Free  Soilers 
and  scattering,  15.  Two  Whig  Congressmen  were 
elected.  George  P.  Marsh  of  Burlington  w^as  chosen 
for  another  term  by  about  nine  hundred  majority,  and 
William  Henry  of  Bellows  Falls  was  elected  as  a  new^ 
member.  There  was  no  choice  in  Mr.  Collamer's  dis- 
trict, but  on  a  second  trial  he  led  by  nearly  two  thousand 
votes,  and  was  elected.  Three  elections  were  necessary 
in  the  Fourth  district  to  choose  Lucius  B.  Peck  over 
Chandler,  the  Whig  candidate.  Ebenezer  N.  Briggs 
was  reelected  Speaker  of  the  House. 


360  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Horace  Eaton  was  born  at  Barnard,  June  22,  1804. 
Removing  to  Enosburg  with  his  parents  while  very 
young,  he  prepared  for  college  at  the  St.  Albans 
Academy,  earned  money  by  teaching  school  winters  and 
graduated  from  Middlebury  College  in  the  class  of  1825. 
He  studied  medicine  wath  his  father,  and  also  at  Castle- 
ton  Medical  College,  where  he  graduated.  He  practiced 
medicine  in  Enosburg  with  his  father,  and  later  with  a 
brother.  He  was  Town  Clerk  for  several  years,  repre- 
senting Enosburg  in  the  Legislature,  1829-30  and  1835- 
36,  was  a  Senator  from  Franklin  county  in  1837,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1843,  and  was 
Lieutenant  Governor  from  1843  to  1846.  Pie  served 
two  terms  as  Governor.  Upon  his  retirement  he  was 
elected  professor  of  natural  history  and  chemistry  in 
Middlebury  College,  holding  that  position  until  his  death, 
July  4,  1855. 

William  Henry  was  born  in  Charlestown,  N.  H., 
March  22,  1783.  He  received  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, and  engaged  in  business  in  Chester.  Later  he  was 
interested  in  manufacturing  enterprises  in  Vermont, 
Jafifrey,  N.  H.,  and  New  York.  He  removed  to  Bellows 
Falls  in  1831,  and  for  fifteen  years  was  cashier  of  the 
Bank  of  Bellows  Falls.  He  represented  the  town  of 
Rockingham  in  the  Legislature  in  1834  and  1835,  was 
a  member  of  the  first  State  Senate  from  Windham 
county  in  1836,  and  was  a  Presidential  Elector  in  1840. 
He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Whig  National  Convention 
which  nominated  Harrison  and  Tyler,  and  served  two 
terms  in  Congress.     He  was  a  Presidential  Elector  in 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   361 

1860,  and  visited  Abraham  Lincoln  at  his  Illinois  home. 
He  died  in  Chester,  Pa.,  April  16,  1861. 

Lucius  B.  Peck  was  born  in  Waterbury,  Vt.,  Novem- 
ber 17,  1802,  being  the  son  of  Gen.  John  Peck.  After 
finishing  a  preparatory  course  he  entered  the  United 
States  Military  Academy,  where  he  remained  one  year, 
resigning  on  account  of  ill  health.  Having  regained 
his  health,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Samuel  Prentiss 
at  Montpelier.  Later  he  studied  in  the  office  of  Denison 
Smith  at  Barre,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1825. 
He  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Smith  and  later  re- 
moved to  Montpelier.  He  soon  built  up  a  large  practice 
in  Washington  and  Orange  counties  and  became  one  of 
the  leading  lawyers  of  Vermont,  being  arrayed  against 
men  like  Paul  Dillingham,  William  Upham  and  Jacob 
Collamer,  in  the  trial  of  cases.  He  represented  Barre 
in  the  Legislature  of  1831,  and  Montpelier,  in  1835  and 
1837.  He  served  two  terms  in  Congress  and  was  United 
States  District  Attorney  under  President  Pierce,  1853- 
57.  He  then  resumed  his  law  practice,  forming  a  part- 
nership with  B.  F.  Fifield.  He  was  twice  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  Governor.  In  1859  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  Vermont  &  Canada  Railroad  Company, 
which  position  he  held  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  died  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  December  28,  1866. 

In  his  annual  message,  Governor  Eaton  protested 
against  the  charging  of  excessive  interest  to  debtors. 
Referring  to  national  issues,  he  said:  "Against  slavery 
itself  as  a  system  wrong  in  practice  and  wrong  in  prin- 
ciple, Vermont  has  taken  the  ground  of  irreconcilable 
hostility;  and  she  must  and  will  continue  to  maintain 


362  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

it."  He  alluded  to  "a  general  prosperity,  before  un- 
known," resulting  from  the  tariff  act  of  1842,  and  to  '*a 
blight  wantonly  thrown  over  this  cheerful  and  gratify- 
ing prospect"  by  later  tariff  legislation. 

The  Legislature  passed  an  act  fixing  the  number  of 
Supreme  Court  Judges  at  six.  A  liquor  license  law  was 
enacted,  providing  that  at  each  town  meeting  held  in 
March  a  vote  should  be  taken  on  the  question  whether 
licenses  should  or  should  not  be  granted  for  the  sale  of 
intoxicating  liquor.  If  a  majority  of  the  votes  of  the 
entire  State  showed  a  license  majority,  then  the  Assistant 
Judges  of  the  several  county  courts  might  grant  licenses 
in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  act.  Otherwise 
licenses  might  be  granted  for  the  sale  of  liquor  only  for 
medicinal,  chemical  and  mechanical  purposes.  Licenses, 
good  for  one  year,  were  fixed  as  follows :  Grocers,  two 
dollars;  tavern  keepers,  three  dollars  to  twenty  dollars; 
retailers,  six  dollars  to  twenty  dollars;  wholesalers, 
twenty  dollars  to  fifty  dollars.  The  following  resolu- 
tions were  adopted:  "Whereas,  in  our  judgment  the 
existing  war  with  Mexico  was  not  founded  in  any  im- 
perative necessity,  such  as  may  justify  or  excuse  a 
Christian  nation  for  resorting  to  arms,  and  has  now 
manifestly  become  an  offensive  war  against  a  neighbor- 
ing republic;  and,  whereas,  we  have  just  grounds  for 
anticipating  that  the  territory  which  has  been  or  may 
be  occupied  or  conquered,  will  become  slave  territory, 
and,  as  such,  claim  admission  to  the  Union;  and  where- 
as, its  admission  as  such,  and  with  a  mixed  population, 
degraded  by  ignorance  and  superstition,  and  allied  to  us 
neither  in  interests,  character  or  language,  will  endanger 


GROWING    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      363 

the  harmony,  welfare  and  perpetuity  of  the  Union;  there- 
fore, be  it  Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, that  the  honor  and  best  interests  of  the  Nation 
will  be  subserved  by  a  speedy  end  of  the  war  with 
Mexico,  and  a  settlement  of  all  matters  in  dispute  by 
arbitration  or  negotiation. 

"Resolved,  That  Vermont  will  not  give  its  coun- 
tenance, aid  or  assent  to  the  admission  into  the  Federal 
Union  of  any  new^  State  whose  constitution  tolerates 
slavery;  and  does  hereby  appeal  to  each  of  her  sister 
States  to  concur  in  its  own  name,  in  this  declaration." 

Congressman  Foot,  on  January  10,  1847,  argued  for 
the  Wilmot  Proviso.  This  was  an  amendment  to  a  bill 
appropriating  two  million  dollars  to  enable  the  President 
to  negotiate  peace  with  Mexico,  introduced  by  David 
Wilmot,  a  Pennsylvania  Democrat,  providing  that  *'as 
an  express  and  fundamental  condition  to  the  acquisition 
of  any  territory  from  the  Republic  of  Mexico  by  the 
United  States,  by  virtue  of  any  treaty  which  may  be 
negotiated  between  them,  and  to  the  use  by  the  Executive 
of  the  moneys  herein  appropriated,  neither  slavery  nor 
involuntary  servitude  shall  ever  exist  in  any  part  of  the 
said  territory,  except  for  crime,  whereof  the  party  shall 
first  be  duly  convicted."  Mr.  Foot  argued  against  the 
necessity  of  the  w^ar,  expressing  the  belief  that  all  our 
difficulties  could  have  been  settled  without  war  with 
Mexico ;  and  had  war  been  necessary  he  thought  it  might 
have  been  carried  on  without  doing  violence  to  the  Con- 
stitution. On  the  following  day  Mr.  Dillingham 
opposed  the  extension  of  slavery,  and  favored  the  Wil- 
mot Proviso.     On  February  22  Mr.  Collamer  opposed 


364  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

the  further  prosecution  of  the  war.  All  the  Vermont 
members  supported  the  Wilmot  Proviso  when  it  came  to 
a  vote  on  March  3,  1847. 

Some  anxiety  was  felt  by  persons  opposing  the 
licensing  of  the  sale  of  liquor,  concerning  the  result  of 
the  first  vote,  in  the  spring  of  1847,  as  little  had  been 
done  to  educate  the  public,  but  the  result  was  a  substan- 
tial majority  against  license.  As  announced  by  the  Sec- 
retary of  State  it  was  as  follows:  License,  13,707;  no 
license,  21,798. 

The  Whig  State  Convention  of  1847  renominated 
Governor  Eaton  and  adopted  the  following  resolution 
relating  to  the  war:  "Resolved,  That,  while  the  part 
taken  by  the  Executive  in  originating  the  war  without 
the  knowledge  of  Congress,  and  the  apparent  un- 
righteous purpose  for  which  it  was  undertaken,  call  for 
severe  reprehension,  we  pledge  him  a  hearty  approval  in 
every  wise  measure  tending  to  a  speedy  and  honorable 
peace." 

The  Democrats  chose  Paul  Dillingham,  Jr.,  of  Water- 
bury  as  their  candidate  for  Governor.  A  Native  Ameri- 
can ticket  was  nominated  at  Danville,  July  6,  headed 
by  R.  C.  Benton  of  Lunenburg  for  Governor  and  Daniel 
P.  Thompson  of  Montpelier  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 
Both  men  are  said  to  have  declined  to  accept  these 
nominations. 

There  was  no  choice  for  Governor  in  the  State  elec- 
tion, the  vote  being,  Horace  Eaton  (Whig),  22,455  ;  Paul 
Dillingham,  Jr.  (Dem.),  18,601;  Lawrence  Brainerd 
(Free  Soil),  6,926;  scattering,  98.  Governor  Eaton 
was  reelected  in  joint  assembly  by  the  following  vote: 


GROW'IXG    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      'Miry 

Eaton,  125;  Dillingham,  85;  Brainerd,  19.  The  Legis- 
lature was  divided  as  follows  :Senate,  Whigs,  21 ;  Demo- 
crats, 9.  House,  Whigs,  105;  Democrats,  79;  Free 
Soilers,  20.  Solomon  Foot  of  Rutland,  who  had  recently 
retired  from  Congress,  once  more  was  elected  Speaker. 

In  his  message  to  the  Legislature  Governor  Eaton 
reported  an  improvement  in  the  educational  system  of 
the  State.  He  announced  that  legislative  resolutions 
relating  to  slavery  and  the  Mexican  War,  and  forwarded 
to  the  several  States,  had  been  "returned  forthwith" 
from  Richmond  in  accordance  with  an  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature of  Virginia.  The  Governor  observed:  '*It  is 
believed  that  V^ermont  has  seen  nothing  in  the  progress 
of  the  contest  (the  war  with  Mexico)  to  change  her 
sentiment,  either  in  regard  to  the  insufficiency  of  the 
grounds  on  which  the  war  was  commenced,  or  the  un- 
worthiness  of  the  purpose  for  which  it  has  been 
waged." 

The  Legislature  authorized  the  Governor  to  appoint 
"the  artist,  B.  F.  Mason,"  to  ascertain  if  an  authentic 
likeness  of  Ethan  Allen  existed  in  Montreal,  and  if  it 
did  to  obtain  permission,  if  practicable,  to  copy  the  same 
for  the  State.  The  Governor  also  was  directed  to  ascer- 
tain if  any  authentic  likeness  of  Thomas  Chittenden  was 
in  existence.  There  appears  to  have  been  in  circulation 
a  report  that  a  likeness  of  Ethan  Allen  was  to  be  found 
in  a  group  picture  in  Montreal.  This  was  altogether  un- 
likely, as  Ethan  Allen  probably  was  not  in  a  mood  to  sit 
for  a  portrait  during  his  enforced  visit  to  Montreal  as  a 
prisoner,  after  failing  to  capture  the  city.  So  far  as 
known  no  portrait  of  Ethan  Allen  ever  was  made.     In 


366  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

her  old  age,  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Samuel  Hitchcock,  de- 
clared that  her  son,  Gen.  Ethan  Allen  Hitchcock,  was  a 
perfect  image  of  her  father.  Somewhat  later  than  this, 
a  wooden  statue  of  Allen  was  carved  by  B.  H.  Kinney 
and  exhibited.  A  few  old  people  who  had  seen  Allen 
are  said  to  have  pronounced  it  a  good  likeness,  but  there 
is  no  record  that  the  sculptor  had  any  very  definite  idea 
as  to  the  appearance  of  Ethan  Allen.  Apparently  no 
portrait  of  Allen  or  Governor  Chittenden  was  found. 

The  Governor  was  asked  to  make  application  to  Con- 
gress for  remuneration  in  the  sum  of  $3,061.73,  for 
money  expended  in  defending  the  frontier  towns  during 
the  Canadian  insurrection.  Charters  were  granted  to 
the  Woodstock  Railroad  Company,  the  Black  River 
Railroad  Company  (from  Perkinsville  to  connect  with 
the  Sullivan  road),  the  Rutland  and  Washington  Rail- 
road Company  (from  Montpelier  to  Bradford,  through 
Williamstown  Gulf),  the  Vermont  Telegraph  Company 
and  the  Passumpsic  Telegraph  Company.  A  resolution 
was  adopted  commending  a  plan  proposed  for  building 
a  railroad  from  some  point  on  Lake  Michigan  to  the 
Pacific  Coast. 

At  a  Whig  State  Convention,  held  during  the  legisla- 
tive session,  these  delegates  were  elected  to  the  National 
Convention:  At  large,  Solomon  Foot  of  Rutland, 
Horace  Everett  of  Windsor;  district  delegates,  A.  P. 
Lyman  of  Bennington,  Hampden  Cutts  of  Hartland, 
H.  E.  Royce  of  Berkshire  and  Portus  Baxter  of  Derby. 

In  the  assignment  of  Senate  Committees  in  December, 
1847,  Senator  Phelps  was  given  places  on  Finance,  Pen- 
sions and  Indian  Affairs.     Senator  Upham  served  on 


(;ro\vix(;  iiatrej)  oi^^  slavery    :^67 

the  Committee  on  Manufactures.  The  Mouse  assign- 
ments were  as  follows:  Collamer,  chairman  of  Public 
Lands;  Henry,  Accounts,  District  of  Columbia;  Marsh, 
Foreign  Affairs;  Peck,  Indian  Affairs. 

Senator  Phelps,  in  a  speech  in  the  Senate,  criticised 
President  Polk  for  his  "alarming  assumption  in  power 
*  '^  *  in  the  origin  and  progress  of  the  war."  He 
discussed  the  war,  which  he  desired  to  see  brought  to  a 
close.  George  P.  Marsh  was  appointed  a  member  of  a 
committee  to  attend  the  funeral  of  John  Quincy  Adams, 
and  Speaker  Winthrop  also  appointed  him  one  of  the 
Regents  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

Senator  Upham  of  Vermont,  on  March  1,  1847, 
oft'ered  an  amendment  to  the  Senate  bill  which  provided 
an  appropriation  to  enable  the  President  to  make  peace 
with  Mexico,  the  terms  of  which  were  similar  to  the 
Wilmot  Proviso,  and,  according  to  Professor  Burgess, 
in  his  history,  "The  Middle  Period,"  "urged  its  adoption 
in  a  strong  and  convincing  argument."  Senator  Cass 
of  Michigan,  however,  supposed  to  be  a  supporter  of  the 
idea  embodied  in  the  Wilmot  Proviso,  opposed  the 
Upham  amendment  as  premature  and  calculated  to 
embarrass  the  President  in  his  negotiations  with  Mexico. 
The  amendment  was  beaten  by  a  vote  of  31  to  21,  the 
House  accepting  the  Senate  bill  on  the  last  day  of  the 
session,  and  the  opportunity  to  keep  slavery  out  of  the 
Territories,  which  had  seemed  likely  to  be  embodied  in 
law,  was  lost. 

The  winter  of  1847-48  was  unusually  mild.  Violets 
were  picked  on  New  Year's  Day,  frogs  were  heard  in 
January,  and  a  live  butterfly  was  found  on  February  4. 


368  HISTORY  OF   VERMONT 

The  number  of  patents  issued  to  Vermonters  from 
1791  to  1847  was  three  hundred  and  ten,  only  nine  States 
exceeding  this  number. 

The  official  vote  on  licensing  the  sale  of  liquor  in  1848 
was  as  follows:  License,  17,248;  no  license,  17,264; 
majority  for  license,  16. 

The  Democratic  National  Convention  opened  at  Bal- 
timore, May  22,  1848.  The  V^ermont  delegates  were 
John  S.  Robinson  of  Bennington,  Ira  Davis  of  Norwich, 
Horace  Clark  of  Middletown  Springs,  Levi  B.  Vilas  of 
Chelsea,  Thomas  Bartlett,  Jr.,  of  Lyndon  and  Giles  Har- 
rington of  Alburg.  Ira  Davis  was  chosen  vice  president 
for  Vermont.  On  the  first  ballot,  Vermont  cast  four 
votes  for  Lewis  Cass  and  two  for  Levi  Woodbury  of 
New  Hampshire.  There  was  no  change  on  the  second 
and  third  ballots,  but  on  the  fourth  ballot  the  entire  dele- 
gation voted  for  General  Cass,  who  was  nominated. 
Vermont's  votes  for  a  candidate  for  Vice  President  were 
cast  on  the  first  and  second  ballots  for  William  O.  But- 
ler of  Kentucky,  the  nominee  of  the  convention. 

At  the  Whig  National  Convention,  held  at  Philadel- 
phia, June  7,  Horace  Everett  was  vice  president  for  Ver- 
mont. Portus  Baxter  was  one  of  the  secretaries  and 
associated  with  him  in  this  capacity  were  John  Sherman 
of  Ohio  and  Schuyler  Colfax  of  Indiana.  On  the  first 
three  ballots  Vermont  cast  one  vote  for  Gen.  Zachary 
Taylor  of  Louisiana  and  five  for  Henry  Clay  of  Ken- 
tucky. On  the  fourth  and  final  ballot,  Vermont  cast  two 
votes  each  for  Taylor,  Clay  and  Gen.  Winfield  Scott. 
Millard  Fillmore  of  New  York  was  nominated  for  Vice 
President.     As  a  military  hero  Taylor  was  a  popular 


GROWIXG    HATRED   OF   SLAX'ERV      'M)9 

candidate,  but  he  was  a  slave  holder  and  his  nomination 
was  rather  coolly  received  in  the  North,  especially 
among  Anti-Slavery  Whigs.  The  Veruiont  IVatclunan 
said:  "Among  all  the  Whigs  named  for  that  office  (the 
Presidency)  none  could  have  been  selected  so  unwelcome 
to  us."  Upon  his  return  to  Vermont,  Horace  Everett, 
one  of  the  delegates-at-large,  issued  a  card  announcing 
his  uncompromising  hostility  to  the  election  of  General 
Taylor.  As  the  campaign  progressed,  however,  practi- 
cally all  the  Whigs  fell  into  line  for  Taylor. 

In  the  campaign  of  1848  there  was  a  division  in  the 
Democratic  ranks,  one  faction,  popularly  called  the 
Barnburners,  favored  the  Wilmot  Proviso,  while  those 
who  opposed  this  measure  w-ere  know-n  as  Old  Hunkers. 
In  reality  it  was  a  contest  between  Free  Soil  and  old 
line  Democrats.  The  former  held  a  convention  and 
nominated  Martin  Van  Buren  as  its  candidate  for  Presi- 
dent. In  this  convention  Vermont  cast  seven  votes  for 
Van  Buren  and  eleven  for  John  P.  Hale  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. Lawrence  Brainerd  of  St.  Albans  was  one  of  the 
vice  presidents  of  the  convention.  This  factional  con- 
test showed  itself  in  Vermont,  the  leaders  of  the  Barn- 
burner element  including  L.  E.  Chittenden  of  Burling- 
ton, E.  D.  Barber  of  Middlebury  and  S.  S.  Brown  of 
St.  Albans.  Paul  Dillingham,  Jr.,  of  Waterbury  was 
renominated  for  Governor,  and  at  first  declined,  as  he 
was  not  altogether  in  sympathy  with  the  Hunker  or 
dominant  element  of  the  party,  having  voted  for  the  Wil- 
mot Proviso,  but  he  finally  accepted  the  nomination. 

The  Free  Soil  Democrats,  or  Barnburners,  held  a 
State  Convention  at  Middlebury,  and  nominated  Oscar 


370  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

L.  Shafter  of  Wilmington  for  Governor.  Mr.  Shafter, 
originally  a  Democrat,  had  been  affiliated  with  the  Lib- 
erty or  Anti-Slavery  party  since  its  organization.  Luke 
P.  Poland  of  Morristown,  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court 
and  a  Democrat,  was  nominated  as  a  candidate  for  Lieu- 
tenant Governor,  and  Edward  A.  Stansbury  of  Burling- 
ton, a  Whig,  was  named  for  Treasurer.  Horace  Everett 
of  Windsor  and  William  Slade  of  Middlebury,  two  of 
the  ablest  Whig  leaders  in  Vermont,  were  present.  Sev- 
eral Democratic  papers  supported  the  Free  Soil  State 
and  National  tickets. 

The  Whig  Convention,  held  at  Woodstock,  ratified  the 
National  ticket,  Taylor  and  Fillmore,  and  nominated 
Carlos  Coolidge  of  Windsor  for  Governor. 

There  was  no  choice  for  Governor  in  the  September 
election,  but  the  Free  Soil  Democrats  polled  more  votes 
than  the  regulars.  The  official  report  showed  the  fol- 
lowing result:  Coolidge,  22,007;  Shafter,  14,931;  Dil- 
lingham, 13,420;  scattering,  47.  Coolidge  was  elected 
in  the  Legislature  by  one  majority,  the  vote  being  as  fol- 
lows: Coolidge,  122;  Shafter,  65;  Dillingham,  54; 
scattering,  2.  William  C.  Kittredge  of  Fair  Haven 
(Whig)  was  elected  Speaker  on  the  forty-sixth  ballot. 
William  Henry  (Whig)  was  reelected  to  Congress  in  the 
First  district,  but  there  was  no  choice  in  the  Second, 
Third  and  Fourth  districts.  Later  George  P.  Marsh 
(Whig)  and  Lucius  B.  Peck  (Dem.)  were  reelected  in 
the  Third  and  Fourth  districts,  respectively,  and  Wil- 
liam Hebard  of  Chelsea  (Whig)  was  elected  to  succeed 
Jacob  Collamer,  who  had  declined  to  serve  longer. 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   371 

The  \\  hig  national  ticket  had  a  substantial  lead  in 
Vermont,  the  vote  by  counties  for  Taylor  (Whig),  Cass 
(Dem.)  and  Van  Buren  (Free  Soil)  being  as  follows: 

Taylor  Cass        Van  Buren 

Addison    2,558  319  1,035 

Bennington    1,559  1,150  616 

Caledonia   1,367  1,158  888 

Chittenden   1,753  571  1,516 

Essex    370  331  42 

Franklin 1,456  694  1,204 

Grand  Isle   311  130  104 

Lamoille 289  474  754 

Orange   1,780  1,414  1,308 

Orleans 1,056  562  536 

Rutland    2,911  744  1,377 

W^ashington 1,398  1,693  1,106 

Windham 2,648  608  1,443 

Windsor  3,656  1,103  1,908 

Total 23,132         10,948  13,837 

Taylor's  plurality  over  Van  Buren  was  12,174  and 
over  Cass,  9,285.  Van  Buren  had  a  substantial  lead 
over  Cass.  Van  Buren  led  in  Lamoille  county,  and  Cass 
in  Washington. 

Carlos  Coolidge  was  born  at  Windsor,  Vt.,  June  25, 
1792.  After  graduating  from  Middlebury  College  he 
studied  law  with  Peter  Starr  of  Middlebury,  and  after- 
ward with  Jonathan  H.  Hubbard  of  Windsor.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1814  and  opened  an  office  for  the 
practice  of  law  in  his  native  town.      He  was  State's 


372  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Attorney  of  Windsor  county  from  1831  to  1836,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  first  board  of  Bank  Commissioners 
appointed  under  the  act  of  1831.  He  represented  Wind- 
sor in  the  Legislatures  of  1834-36  and  1839-41,  being 
Speaker  of  the  House  in  1836,  1839,  1840  and  1841.  He 
was  Senator  from  Windsor  county,  1853-55,  a  member 
of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1850  and  a  Presi- 
dential Elector  in  1844.  He  served  two  terms  as  Gov- 
ernor. He  received  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  from 
the  University  of  Vermont,  in  1835,  and  that  of  LL.D. 
from  Middlebury  College  in  1849.  He  died  at  his  home 
in  Windsor,  August  15,  1866. 

William  Hebard  was  born  at  Windham,  Conn., 
November  29,  1800.  Removing  to  Randolph,  Vt.,  at 
an  early  age,  he  attended  the  common  schools,  studied 
law  with  William  Nutting  at  Randolph,  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  and  opened  a  law  office  at  East  Randolph.  He 
was  State's  Attorney  of  Orange  county,  1832-33  and 
1836-37;  represented  Randolph  in  the  Legislature  in 
1835  and  1840-42;  removed  to  Chelsea  and  represented 
that  town  in  1858-59,  1864-65  and  1872;  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Senate  in  1836  and  1838;  was  Judge 
of  Probate  for  the  Randolph  district,  1838-39  and  1840- 
42;  was  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  1842-44;  and 
served  two  terms  in  Congress.  He  was  a  delegate  to 
the  Republican  National  Convention  of  1860.  He  died 
at  his  home  in  Chelsea,  October  22,  1875. 

In  his  message  to  the  Legislature  Governor  Coolidge 
said  of  Vermonters  that  "hostility  to  slavery  is,  in  them, 
an  instinct." 


GROWlXc;    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      'M:i 

The  Legislature  passed  an  act  providing  that  Presi- 
dential Electors  and  members  of  Congress  should  be 
chosen  on  the  Tuesday  next  after  the  first  Monday  of 
November,  in  every  fourth  year,  and  every  second  year, 
respectively.  Charters  were  granted  to  the  Rutland  and 
Whitehall  Railroad  Company;  the  Southern  Vermont 
Railroad  Company  (from  some  point  on  the  southern 
line  of  the  State  in  Windham  or  Bennington  counties 
to  some  point  on  the  west  line  of  the  State  in  Bennington 
county) ;  the  Danville  &  Passumpsic  Railroad  Company 
(from  Danville  to  Barnet) ;  the  Vermont  Valley  Rail- 
road Company  (from  Brattleboro  to  connect  with  the 
Rutland  and  Burlington  and  Sullivan  Railroads)  ;  the 
\^ermont  &  Boston  Telegraph  Company;  and  the  Troy 
&  Canada  Junction  Telegraph  Company;  and  the 
National  Life  Insurance  Company,  the  list  of  incorpo- 
rators of  the  last  named  company  being  headed  by  the 
name  of  Henry  Clay. 

A  resolution  adopted  declared  that  Gen.  Winfield 
Scott  was  "richly  entitled  to  the  admiration  and  thanks 
of  his  countrymen"  for  his  achievements  in  the  War  of 
1812  and  in  the  Mexican  War.  Another  resolution 
asserted  that  Congress  possessed  and  ought  to  exercise 
the  power  to  prohibit  slavery  in  the  Territories  of  New 
Mexico  and  California. 

Senator  Upham  was  reelected.  The  vote  in  the 
Senate  was:  William  Upham  (Whig),  18;  Levi  B. 
Vilas  of  Chelsea  (Dem.),  5;  scattering,  2.  Three  bal- 
lots were  taken  in  the  House  and  on  the  third  ballot  Sen- 
ator Upham  received  106  votes,  just  the  number  neces- 
sary for  a  choice.     The  other  votes,  105  in  number,  are 


374  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

reported  as  scattering,  but  some  went  to  Mr.  Vilas  and 
others  to  Jacob  Collamer. 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  legislative  session  of 
1841  was  the  holding  of  exercises  in  honor  of  the  acqui- 
sition of  the  brass  cannon  taken  from  the  German,  or 
Hessian,  troops  at  Bennington,  in  1777.  These  guns 
had  been  recaptured  by  the  British  when  General  Hull 
surrendered  at  Detroit,  just  thirty-five  years  after  they 
came  into  General  Stark's  possession.  The  British 
commander  had  declared  that  he  would  have  inscribed 
on  them  the  words  "Retaken  from  the  Americans, 
August  16,  1812,"  but  before  this  promise  could  be  car- 
ried out  they  were  captured  by  the  Americans,  when 
Fort  George  was  taken.  Becoming  obsolete,  they  were 
discarded  outside  the  Arsenal  at  Washington.  Here 
they  were  found  by  Henry  Stevens,  the  well  known 
antiquarian,  and  a  loyal  Vermonter.  After  several  in- 
effectual attempts  to  obtain  them,  Congressman  Col- 
lamer introduced  a  resolution,  July  3,  1848,  providing 
for  the  return  to  Vermont  of  her  brass  field  pieces  cap- 
tured at  Bennington,  supported  it  in  a  brief  but  force- 
ful speech,  and  secured  its  unanimous  adoption.  The 
Senate  concurred,  the  guns  were  forwarded  to  Vermont, 
and  a  suitable  address  was  delivered  at  Montpelier  by 
Rev.  James  Davie  Butler  of  Wells  River.  Of  the  four 
guns  taken  at  Bennington,  the  third  was  given  to  the 
town  of  New  Boston,  N.  H.,  and  the  fourth  was  lost  at 
sea  from  a  New  Hampshire  privateer,  during  the  War 
of  1812. 

During  the  period  of  the  famine  in  Ireland  Vermont 
contributed  $4,371.02  to  the  Irish  relief  fund.     Public 


GROWING   HATRED   OF  SLAVERY      375 

^ 

meetings  were  held  and  committees  appointed  at  town 
meetings  to  solicit  funds.  The  Irish  people  of  Mont- 
pelier  and  vicinity  raised  and  forwarded  to  Ireland  a 
fund  of  one  thousand  dollars. 

The  Whigs  of  the  Vermont  Legislature  had  recom- 
mended Jacob  Collamer  for  the  post  of  Attorney  General 
in  President  Taylor's  Cabinet.  The  name  of  Senator 
Phelps  also  had  been  suggested  for  the  position.  When 
the  names  of  the  new  Cabinet  were  sent  to  the  Senate  it 
w-as  found  that  Judge  Collamer  had  been  appointed  Post- 
master General.  This  appointment  was  gratifying  to 
the  people  of  Vermont  and  Democratic  as  well  as  Whig 
newspapers  generally  commended  the  President  for  his 
excellent  choice.  Mr.  Collamer  had  just  completed  a 
term  as  Congressman,  and  on  March  8  a  large  delega- 
tion of  Vermonters,  many  of  whom  had  come  to  Wash- 
ington to  attend  the  inauguration,  called  at  his  residence 
to  congratulate  him  on  his  selection  for  a  Cabinet  posi- 
tion. In  a  brief  speech  he  said  the  appointment  was  a 
compliment  to  the  State  rather  than  a  reward  of  personal 
merit.  He  alluded  to  the  burden  of  supervising  seven- 
teen thousand  post-offices.  Speaking  in  a  facetious 
vein,  he  said  an  observatory  recently  had  been  erected 
in  Washington,  equipped  with  a  powerful  telescope.  In 
closely  scanning  the  Northern  Constellation  a  star  had 
been  found  hitherto  unknown  to  the  savants,  small,  in- 
deed, but  very  brilliant  and  very  beautiful.  This  was 
''the  Star  that  never  sets."  In  this  way,  said  he,  Ver- 
mont had  been  discovered  by  President  Taylor,  adding : 
"Ours  is  the  only  Whig  State  in  the  Union  which  has 
never  swerved  from  her  political  faith,  and  almost  the 


376  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

only  one  which  has  never  shared  the  patronage  of  the 
General  Government."  In  the  "Life  of  Thurlow 
Weed,"  a  letter  written  by  the  New  York  political 
leader  is  quoted,  in  which  he  says:  "The  Postmaster 
General,  Judge  Collamer,  to  whom  I  was  authorized  to 
communicate  the  President's  views  (in  favor  of  rotation 
in  office),  lost  no  time  in  appointing  meritorious  Whig 
Postmasters  throughout  the  Union." 

It  was  desired  that  George  P.  Marsh's  great  abilities 
should  be  utilized  by  the  new  administration,  but  Ver- 
mont having  been  honored  in  the  person  of  Judge  Col- 
lamer, it  was  not  considered  expedient  to  base  Mr. 
Marsh's  claims  upon  his  Vermont  residence,  therefore 
the  President's  attention  was  directed  to  his  accomplish- 
ments as  a  linguist  and  scholar,  which  fitted  him  ad- 
mirably for  a  diplomatic  position.  Among  the  early 
foreign  appointments  of  President  Taylor  was  that  of 
George  Perkins  Marsh  to  be  United  States  Minister 
Resident  to  Turkey.  Mr.  Marsh  resigned  his  seat  in  the 
House  and  James  Meacham  of  Middlebury  was  elected 
his  successor. 

James  Meacham  was  born  at  Rutland,  August  16, 
1810.  Educated  by  a  neighbor  who  became  interested 
in  his  welfare,  he  graduated  from  Middlebury  College, 
in  the  class  of  1832.  He  taught  in  Castleton  Seminary 
and  St.  Albans  Academy,  studied  theology  at  Andover 
(Mass.)  Seminary,  and  after  two  years  as  a  tutor  at 
Middlebury  College,  in  1838  was  settled  as  pastor  of  the 
Congregational  church  at  New  Haven.  In  1846  he 
returned  to  Middlebury  College  as  professor  of  elocution 
and  English  literature.     He  served  four  terms  in  Con- 


OROW'IXc;    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      ^11 

gress,  and  had  been  nominated  for  a  fifth  term,  but  died 
in  Rutland,  August  23,  1856. 

The  liquor  license  vote  in  the  spring  of  1849,  as  an- 
nounced officially,  was:  For  license,  11,371;  against 
license,  23,816 ;  no  license  majority,  12,445.  Only  Essex 
county  gave  a  license  majority. 

In  1849  the  Anti-Masonic  agitation  had  subsided 
sufficiently  to  permit  a  revival  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Masons. 

The  newspapers  of  this  period  contained  frequent 
allusions  to  Vermonters  who  were  emigrating  to  Cali- 
fornia, called  there  by  the  discovery  of  gold  and  by  the 
opportunities  which  the  rapid  development  of  that  region 
afiforded.  Rev.  Walter  Colton,  a  native  of  Rutland,  and 
a  former  Chaplain  in  the  Navy,  with  an  associate,  estab- 
lished the  first  newspaper  in  California,  The  Calif ornian, 
at  Monterey  in  August,  1846.  He  was  also  the  first 
American  Alcalde,  and  is  said  to  have  erected  the  first 
school  house  in  the  State,  and  to  have  made  the  first  pub- 
lic announcement  in  a  newspaper  of  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  California.  Frederick  Billings,  later  of  Wood- 
stock, it  is  said,  opened  the  first  law  office  in  San 
Francisco. 

A  Council  of  Censors  was  elected  in  1848,  the  mem- 
bers being,  Charles  K.  Williams  of  Rutland,  Peter  Starr 
of  Middlebury,  Keyes  P.  Cool  of  Bennington,  David 
Crawford  of  Putney,  Salmon  F.  Dutton  of  Cavendish, 
William  Hebard  of  Chelsea,  Henry  F.  Janes  of  Water- 
bury,  James  Bell  of  Walden,  Augustus  Burt  of  Sheldon, 
Ira  H.  Allen  of  Irasburg,  Henry  Stowell  of  Cambridge, 
John  Dewey  of  Guildhall,  and  John  Pomeroy  of  Burling- 


378  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

ton.  Among  the  amendments  proposed  were:  One 
Representative  for  each  town  having  fewer  than  2,500 
inhabitants;  two  for  each  town  having  a  population  of 
2,500,  and  for  every  1,500  inhabitants  in  excess  of  2,500, 
one  additional  Representative.  Assistant  Judges, 
Sheriffs,  State's  Attorneys,  Judges  and  Registrars  of 
Probate,  and  Justices  of  the  Peace  were  to  be  elected 
by  the  freemen,  Senators  to  be  at  least  thirty  years  old 
to  be  eligible,  and  constitutional  amendments  were  to  be 
adopted  by  a  referendum.  A  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion, which  met  January  2,  1850,  to  consider  the  fifteen 
proposals  of  amendment,  adopted  ten  of  them  including 
the  election  of  county  officers  and  Justices  of  the  Peace 
by  popular  vote.  Thomas  Bartlett,  Jr.,  of  Lyndon  was 
president  of  the  convention. 

Early  in  the  year  1849  the  possibility  of  a  combina- 
tion between  Free  Soilers,  who  had  supported  Van 
Buren  the  previous  year,  and  the  regular  Democrats,  was 
discussed  in  the  State  press.  A  coalition  ticket  was 
nominated,  composed  of  Anti-Slavery  men,  with  Horatio 
Needham  of  Bristol  for  Governor,  Daniel  Roberts,  Jr., 
of  Manchester,  for  Lieutenant  Governor,  and  Joseph 
Poland  of  Montpelier  for  Treasurer.  This  coalition 
caused  much  excitement,  which  extended  beyond  the 
borders  of  Vermont.  The  Neiv  York  Tribune  said: 
''It  (the  coalition)  is  formidable  and  an  extraordinary 
effort  will  be  required  to  defeat  it.  Sweeping  into  the 
dragnet  men  of  the  most  extreme  contrariety  of  opinions 
— the  ultra-Abolitionists — and  the  ultra-opponents  of 
Abolition — the  supporters  of  Birney  and  the  zealous  ad- 
herents of  Polk — it  is  quite  possible,  should  all  the  screws 


GROWING    HATRED   OF   SLAX'ERV      379 

hold  as  calculated  and  stipulated,  that  they  may  even 
carry  Vermont  away  from  herself." 

Not  a  few  Democrats  were  dissatisfied  with  the  coali- 
tion. The  Burlington  Sentinel  complained  that  ''every 
distinctive  principle  of  the  Democratic  party  was  aban- 
doned, while  every  principle  of  the  Free  Soil  organiza- 
tion was  adopted.  Democrats  of  the  old  stamp  were 
allowed  no  candidate  on  the  State  ticket,  were  scarcely 
recognized  in  the  organization  of  the  convention  or  in 
the  appointment  of  the  various  committees.  Their 
name,  even,  was  taken  away  from  them  and  that  of  the 
Free  Soilers  substituted."  Several  county  conventions 
of  regular  Democrats  w^ere  held  and  later  a  State  Con- 
vention nominated  a  ticket  headed  by  Gen.  Jonas  Clark 
of  Middletown  Springs. 

The  Whig  Convention,  held  on  July  4,  renominated 
Governor  Coolidge.  An  active  campaign  followed.  If 
the  Free  Soilers  and  Democrats  could  hold  their  follow- 
ers in  line  their  prospects  w'ere  good  for  carrying  the 
State.  The  Whigs  were  alarmed,  and  secured  Horace 
Greeley  for  a  series  of  rallies.  The  coalition,  however, 
was  not  quite  effective.  The  regular  Democrats  polled 
enough  votes  for  a  third  ticket  to  prevent  Needham's 
election.  The  result  was :  Coolidge,  26,238 ;  Needham, 
23,250;  Clark,  3,357;  scattering,  26.  The  vote  cast  was 
very  heavy,  being  nearly  as  large  as  that  in  the  strenuous 
Harrison  and  Tyler  campaign  of  1840.  There  being  no 
choice  on  the  popular  vote,  the  Legislature  reelected  Gov- 
ernor Coolidge,  the  vote  being  as  follows:  Coolidge, 
149;  Needham,  90;  Clark,  8.  William  C.  Kittredge  was 
reelected  Speaker. 


380  HISTORY  OF   VERMONT 

In  his  message  Governor  Coolidge  announced  that 
under  the  authority  of  an  act  passed  the  preceding  year, 
he  had  appointed  as  commissioners  to  prepare  a  general 
measure  regulating  and  governing  all  railroad  corpora- 
tions, Charles  K.  Williams  of  Rutland,  Lucius  B.  Peck 
of  Montpelier  and  Erastus  Fairbanks  of  St.  Johnsbury. 
Concerning  slavery,  he  said:  "It  being  evil,  and  only 
evil,  these  hearts  will  never  find  rest  until  all  shall  have 
been  done  for  the  extinction  of  it  that  man  may  right- 
fully do.  It  would  appear,  perhaps,  to  all  the  rest  of  the 
civilized  world,  merely  supererogatory  in  Vermont  to 
reiterate  what  she  has  so  often  and  so  emphatically  de- 
clared, her  unrelenting  hostility  to  the  bondage  of  human 
beings.  But  it  is  fit — nay  more,  it  is  our  duty — as  a 
State  and  as  a  people  to  make  every  leading  public  occa- 
sion commemorative  of  our  sentiment  and  purpose  in 
respect  of  this  highest  national  crime." 

The  Legislature  passed  a  general  railroad  act,  and 
indulged  again  in  one  of  its  favorite  pastimes,  remodel- 
ing the  Supreme  Court.  This  time  it  constituted  a  court 
consisting  of  one  Chief  Judge  and  two  Assistant  Judges, 
who  were  to  be  assigned  to  four  judicial  circuits.  Arti- 
cles of  incorporation  were  adopted  for  the  Montpelier  & 
Connecticut  River  Railroad  Company;  the  Ascutney 
Railroad  Company  ( from  some  point  on  the  Connecticut 
River  to  some  point  in  Chester  or  Cavendish) ;  the  Rut- 
land &  Burlington  Railroad  Company;  and  the  Frank- 
lin County  Steamboat  Company.  Several  plank  road 
companies  were  also  incorporated. 

A  resolution  was  adopted,  earnestly  recommending  the 
establishment  of  a  Bureau  of  Agriculture  in  the  Depart- 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   381 

nient  of  ihe  Inleriur.  It  was  also  declared,  "That  the 
brave  and  patriotic  people  of  Hungary  are  entitled  to 
our  warmest  sympathy  in  their  unsuccessful  struggle  for 
the  liberty  of  their  country  against  the  despots  of  Aus- 
tria and  Russia."  Another  resolution  adopted  asserted 
"that  the  peaceful  annexation  of  Canada  to  the  United 
States  with  the  consent  of  the  British  Government  and 
of  the  people  of  Canada,  and  upon  just  and  honorable 
terms,  is  an  object  in  the  highest  degree  desirable  to  the 
people  of  the  United  States."  Very  likely  the  earnest 
foes  of  slavery  saw  in  Canadian  annexation  a  method  of 
checkmating  the  slave  power  in  its  triumphant  policy  of 
Texan  annexation.  The  declaration  against  slavery, 
which  had  become  an  annual  custom,  was  as  follows: 
"Resolved,  That  slavery  is  a  crime  against  humanity,  and 
a  sore  evil  in  the  body  politic,  that  was  excused  by  the 
framers  of  the  Federal  Constitution  as  a  crime  entailed 
upon  the  country  by  their  predecessors,  and  tolerated 
solely  as  a  thing  of  inexorable  necessity."  Senators  and 
Representatives  were  requested  "to  support  every  just 
and  prudent  measure  for  the  exclusion  of  slavery  from 
the  District  of  Columbia;  for  the  entire  suppression  of 
the  slave  trade  on  the  high  seas,  and  generally  to  relieve 
the  Federal  Government  from  all  responsibility  for  the 
existence,  maintenance  or  tolerance  of  slavery  or  the 
traffic  in  slaves." 

Early  in  1850  Congressman  Peck  was  made  chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Manufactures,  a  position  held  with 
honor  by  another  Vermonter,  Rollin  C.  Mallary.  Sen- 
ator Upham,  on  January  8,  1850,  presented  resolutions 
adopted  by  the  Vermont  Legislature  on  the  subject  of 


382  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

slavery  and  moved  that  they  be  printed.  Senator  Yulee 
of  Florida  objected.  He  considered  the  language  more 
insulting  than  that  contained  in  any  resolutions  ever  be- 
fore presented  to  that  body.  Senator  Phelps  of  Ver- 
mont followed  in  a  strong  and  able  defence  of  the  atti- 
tude of  his  State,  temperate  in  its  language,  but  forceful 
in  its  arguments.  He  regretted  that  the  subject  could 
not  be  disposed  of  in  a  spirit  of  conciliation  and  good 
feeling;  but  the  Vermont  resolutions,  ''instead  of  being 
made  the  subject  of  reproach,  should  be  treated  as  the 
sentiments  of  the  civilized  world."  The  Nezv  York 
Courier  and  Enquirer,  of  which  James  Watson  Webb 
was  editor,  said  of  Senator  Phelps'  speech :  "The  Sen- 
ate has  seldom  been  gratified  with  an  effort  of  greater 
power,  or  one  in  which  its  whole  temper  and  scope 
exhibited  higher  qualities  of  intellect.  *  *  *  He 
succeeded  in  obtaining  the  attention  of  the  Senate  and 
crowded  galleries  for  more  than  two  hours,  and  in  im- 
pressing the  conviction  that  few,  if  any,  on  the  floor 
were  equal  to  cope  with  masterly  arguments  which  he 
advanced.  Such  an  effort  would  have  excited  admira- 
tion in  the  Supreme  Court,  with  John  Marshall  on  the 
bench.  *  *  *  jf  \^q  h^d  done  nothing  else  to  estab- 
lish his  fame  as  a  jurist  and  statesman,  this  speech 
would  be  sufficient  to  place  him  in  the  front  rank  of  the 
Senate.  It  deserves  to  be  read  and  preserved  as  one  of 
the  ablest  expositions  of  the  constitutional  power  of 
Congress  to  govern  the  territories  of  the  United  States 
that  ever  has  been  delivered  in  Congress." 

Resolutions  of  Henry  Clay,  and  other  Senators,  relat- 
ing to  slavery,  on  April  18,  1850,  w^re  referred  to  a  select 


(GROWING    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      383 

committee  of  thirteen,  of  which  Senator  Clay  was  chair- 
man, made  up,  aside  from  the  Kentucky  statesman,  of 
equal  numbers  from  the  North  and  the  South.  These 
members  were  Webster  of  Massachusetts,  Phelps  of 
Vermont,  Cooper  of  Pennsylvania,  Cass  of  Michigan, 
Dickinson  of  New  York,  Bright  of  Indiana,  King  of 
Alabama,  Mason  of  Virginia,  Downs  of  Louisiana, 
Mangum  of  North  Carolina,  Bell  of  Tennessee,  and  Ber- 
rien of  Georgia.  Senator  Phelps  asked  to  be  excused 
on  account  of  his  condition  of  health,  and  because  he 
felt  that  the  only  result  possible  would  be  no  more  than 
an  expression  of  opinion  on  the  part  of  members  of  the 
committee;  that  the  whole  proceeding  would  be  unsatis- 
factory to  the  Senate  and  the  country.  Mr.  Webster 
urged  him  to  remain  and  he  left  the  matter  to  the  Senate 
for  decision,  that  body  declining  to  excuse  him.  The 
fact  that  the  members  of  this  committee  were  chosen 
by  ballot,  and  that  they  had  to  consider  the  subject  of 
slavery  in  the  territories,  and  the  various  comprom.ise 
measures  proposed  by  Mr.  Clay,  adds  to  the  importance 
of  the  choice  of  the  Vermont  Senator.  The  work  of  the 
committee  as  a  whole,  however,  probably  was  not  of  a 
nature  to  commend  it  to  the  Senator's  constituents, 
although  he  was  an  active  opponent  of  slavery.  Rhodes, 
in  his  "History  of  the  United  States,"  says  that  Phelps 
was  the  only  advocate  of  the  Wilmot  Proviso  on  the 
Committee  of  Thirteen. 

Senator  L'pham  in  a  long  speech,  opposed  the  compro- 
mise bill,  asserting  that  he  could  vote  for  no  measure 
which  failed  in  express  terms  to  secure  freedom  to  the 
Territories.     Congressman  Hebard  protested  against  the 


384  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

talk  of  the  possibility  of  dissolving  the  Union.  Con- 
gressman Peck  supported  a  bill  admitting  California 
with  a  provision  against  slavery.  Shortly  before  the 
death  of  President  Taylor,  charges  were  made  against 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  and  the  Secretary  of  War 
regarding  the  payment  of  a  long  disputed  claim,  and  he 
determined  to  reorganize  his  Cabinet,  discussing  the 
matter  with  Thurlow  Weed. 

Mr.  Weed  in  describing  this  episode  said  there  was 
no  occasion  for  changing  Mr.  Ewing  and  Mr.  Collamer, 
but  the  President  had  determined  to  offer  them  diplo- 
matic appointments,  desiring  a  thorough  reorganization 
of  his  official  advisers.  He  considered  the  position  of 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  by  far  the  most  important  in 
the  Cabinet,  and  he  was  particularly  anxious  to  find  for 
this  position  a  man  "of  inflexible  and  proverbial  firm- 
ness and  integrity,  and  one  sound  and  reliable  in  refer- 
ence to  the  protective  tarifif."  Among  the  men  consid- 
ered, according  to  Mr.  Weed,  were  Governor  Davis  of 
Massachusetts,  Horace  Everett  of  Vermont,  Messrs. 
Cooper  and  McKinnon  of  Pennsylvania  and  Vinton  of 
Ohio,  "all  perfectly  competent  and  reliable."  Were  it 
not  for  Mr.  Weed's  intimate  associations  with  President 
Taylor,  the  consideration  of  the  name  of  Mr.  Everett 
of  Vermont  would  seem  almost  incredible,  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  he  bolted  Taylor's  nomination  and  had 
shown  an  inclination  to  stray  from  the  Whig  fold  in 
Vermont.  The  President,  however,  was  associating 
himself  more  closely  with  anti-slavery  men,  at  this  time, 
and  the  hostility  of  leaders  like  Mr.  Everett,  who  were 
strongly  opposed  to  slavery,  naturally  grew  less  active, 


GROWIXO    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      :^S5 

as  his  policy  developed.  Mr.  Weed  had  expressed  his 
admiration  for  the  ability  of  Mr.  Everett  and  if  the 
Vermonter  was  considered  for  the  Cabinet,  the  fact  was 
due,  no  doubt,  to  the  influence  of  the  New  York 
politician.  The  death  of  President  Taylor  gave  the 
task  of  Cabinet  reorganization  into  the  hands  of  Vice 
President  Millard  Fillmore,  whose  father  had  removed 
from  Bennington  a  short  time  before  the  birth  of  the 
future  President. 

The  vote  on  the  licensing  of  the  sale  of  liquor,  as 
expressed  in  the  Vermont  town  meetings  in  the  spring  of 
1850,  was  as  follows:  For  license,  12,606;  against 
license,  19,910.  Two  counties,  Essex  and  Washington, 
gave  license  majorities. 

Very  heavy  rains,  which  began  to  fall  on  July  14, 
1850,  caused  disastrous  floods,  although  not  as  serious 
as  the  freshet  of  1830.  The  new  railroad  lines  sufifered 
much  damage. 

The  Whig  State  Convention  of  1850  nominated 
former  Chief  Judge  Charles  K.  Williams  of  Rutland  for 
Governor  and  Norman  Williams  of  Woodstock  for 
Lieutenant  Governor.  Mr.  Williams  declined  the  honor 
and  the  name  of  his  townsman,  Julius  Converse,  was 
substituted. 

The  Democratic-Free  Soil  coalition  dropped  the  Free 
Soil  title  at  its  State  Convention,  but  retained  one  of 
the  anti-slavery  candidates  of  the  previous  year,  Joseph 
Poland,  for  Treasurer.  Congressman  Lucius  B.  Peck 
was  nominated  for  Governor.  The  candidate  of  the  old 
line  Democrats  for  Governor  was  John  Roberts  of 
Townshend. 


386  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Judge  Williams  was  elected  by  a  small  majority,  the 
vote  being,  Williams,  24,483;  Peck,  18,956;  Roberts, 
4,142;  scattering,  26. 

There  was  no  election  for  Congressman  in  the  First 
district.  Congressmen  Hebard  and  Meacham,  both 
Whigs,  were  elected  in  the  Second  and  Third  districts, 
respectively.  In  the  Fourth  district,  Thomas  Bartlett, 
Jr.,  of  Lyndon  was  elected  by  a  coalition  Democratic  and 
Free  Soil  vote.  At  a  later  election,  Ahiman  L.  Miner 
(Whig)  of  Manchester  was  elected  to  represent  the  First 
district. 

As  the  term  of  Senator  S.  S.  Phelps  expired  in  1851, 
it  became  the  duty  of  the  Legislature  of  1850  to  choose 
a  successor.  On  the  fourth  ballot  Solomon  Foot  of 
Rutland  was  chosen,  the  vote  being,  Foot,  114;  Charles 
Linsley  of  Middlebury,  61 ;  Oscar  L.  Shafter  of  Wil- 
mington, 18;  David  A.  Smalley  of  Burlington,  14;  S.  S. 
Phelps  of  Middlebury,  7;  scattering,  6.  Senator  Phelps 
received  17  votes  on  the  first  ballot.  On  the  third  ballot 
his  name  was  withdrawn,  although  he  received  a  few 
votes  on  the  fourth.  Mr.  Foot  had  had  Congressional 
experience  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  The  Ver- 
mont Watchman  observed  that  he  was  succeeding  "the 
ablest  man  intellectually  in  the  Senate." 

Charles  Kilbourn  Williams  was  the  son  of  Rev. 
Samuel  Williams,  one  of  the  ablest  men  who  ever  served 
Vermont.  He  was  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  January 
24,  1782,  and  came  to  Rutland,  Vt.,  with  the  Williams 
family  in  1790.  He  graduated  from  Williams  College 
in  the  class  of  1800,  studied  law  with  Cephas  Smith  of 
Rutland,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1803.     He  was 


CROW'IXC.    ilATRlCI)    Ol'   SLA\'I{RV      1^87 

appointed  a  tutor  at  Williams  College  in  1802  and  re- 
ceived a  similar  offer  from  Aliddlebury  College  a  short 
time  thereafter,  but  declined  both  appointments.  He 
served  in  one  campaign  on  the  northern  frontier  during 
the  War  of  1812.  He  represented  Rutland  in  the  Legis- 
lature in  1809.  1811,  1814-15,  1820-21  and  in  18-^9.  He 
was  State's  Attorney  of  Rutland  county,  1813-15;  Judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  1822-23  and  1829-45,  being  Chief 
Judge  from  1834  to  1845;  Collector  of  Customs,  1826- 
30;  member  of  the  Council  of  Censors,  1848;  and  in 
1827  was  appointed  member  of  a  State  Commission  to 
supervise  the  common  school  system.  He  served  two 
terms  as  Governor.  He  received  the  degree  of  A.  M. 
from  W^illiams  and  Middlebury  Colleges  and  the  degree 
of  LL.  D.  from  Middlebury  College.  He  w-as  a  member 
of  the  Middlebury  corporation  from  1827  to  1843,  and 
at  the  time  of  his  death  was  president  of  tTie  Society  of 
the  Alumni  of  Williams  College.  He  died  at  Rutland, 
March  9,  1853. 

Ahiman  L.  Miner  was  born  at  Middletown,  September 
23,  1804,  and  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was 
twenty-one  years  old.  He  then  prepared  for  college, 
but  changed  his  plans  and  studied  law  at  Poultney  and 
Rutland.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1832  and  prac- 
ticed his  profession  at  Wallingford  for  two  years,  then 
removed  to  Manchester.  He  represented  Manchester 
in  the  Legislature  in  1838-39,  1846,  1853,  1861  and  1865- 
68.  He  was  a  Senator  from  Bennington  county  in 
1840;  was  Clerk  of  the  Vermont  House  of  Representa- 
tives from  1836  to  1838;  State's  Attorney  for  Benning- 
ton county,  1843-45  and  1863-66;  Register  of  Probate 


388  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

for  seven  years  and  Judge  of  Probate,  1846-49.  He 
served  one  term  in  Congress.  His  death  occurred  at 
Manchester,  July  19,  1886. 

Thomas  Bartlett,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Burke,  June  18, 
1810.  He  attended  the  public  schools,  studied  law,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  and  in  1833  opened  an  office  at 
Groton.  In  1839  he  removed  to  Lyndon.  He  was 
State's  Attorney  for  Caledonia  county,  1839-40,  and 
1841-42;  State  Senator,  1841-42;  member  of  the  Legis- 
lature from  Lyndon,  1850;  member  of  the  Constitutional 
Conventions  of  1850  and  1857;  and  served  one  term  in 
Congress.     He  died  at  Lyndon,  September  12,  1876. 

In  his  annual  message,  Governor  Williams  referred  to 
the  benefit  which  the  people  of  the  State  were  experien- 
cing from  the  building  of  railways  in  Vermont.  Refer- 
ring to  the  injury  resulting  from  the  tariff  reduction 
of  1846,  he  said:  "With  us  at  least,  there  should  be  no 
diversity  of  thought  or  action  on  the  subject  of  a  protect- 
ive tariff."  He  also  protested  against  the  evils  of 
slavery. 

During  the  session  the  Legislature  incorporated  the 
Missisquoi  Railroad  Company  (to  extend  from  some 
point  on  the  Vermont  and  Canada  Railroad  to  connect 
with  the  Passumpsic  Railroad),  and  the  Vermont  North- 
eastern Railroad  Company  (from  Barnet  up  the  Con- 
necticut River  valley  to  connect  with  the  Atlantic  and 
St.  Lawrence  Railroad  in  Essex  county).  Numerous 
plank  road  companies  were  chartered  during  this 
session. 

Resolutions  were  adopted,  expressing  hostility  to 
slavery,  saying  in  part:     "Wherever  there  is  a  foot  of 


GROWIXG    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      389 

soil  to  be  staid  back  from  becoming  slave  territory,  we 
will  insist  upon  the  protection  of  such  soil  by  legislative 
prohibition."  The  Fugitive  Slave  Law  was  condemned 
as  a  measure  "opposed  to  the  great  principles  of  civil 
liberty."  The  resolution  declared,  "That  as  Vermont 
was  the  first  State  to  seek  admission  to  the  Union,  so  she 
will  be  the  last  to  forget  its  benefits,  or  be  wanting  in 
efforts  to  promote  its  prosperity  and  its  permanence. 
Whoever  may  deem  lightly  of  it,  she  will  honor  it;  who- 
ever may  assail,  she  will  vindicate  it;  whoever  may 
desert,  she  will  abide  by  it."  Resolutions  were  adopted, 
favoring  a  protective  tariff  and  asking  for  a  modifica- 
tion of  the  existing  revenue  law.  Another  resolution 
suggested  that  the  President  propose  to  all  nations  "the 
establishment  of  a  permanent  board  to  settle  all  inter- 
national disputes  or  claims."  The  death  of  President 
Taylor  was  deplored,  this  event  being  referred  to  as  "a 
great  national  calamity." 

According  to  custom,  copies  of  resolutions  relating  to 
national  topics  adopted  by  the  General  Assembly  were 
transmitted  to  the  Legislatures  of  the  several  States. 
By  a  vote  of  123  to  0,  the  Virginia  House  of  Delegates 
requested  the  Governor  of  that  State  to  return  to  the 
Governor  of  Vermont  the  resolution  relating  to  the  pro- 
motion of  peace,  declaring  that  "the  Legislature  of  V^ir- 
ginia  declines  to  consider  the  resolutions  from  the  Legis- 
lature of  Vermont,  relative  to  the  peace  of  the  world 
until  that  body  shall  show  itself  careful  of  the  peace  of 
the  Union,  by  conforming  to  the  enactments  of  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  and  laws  passed  in  pur- 
suance thereof."     The  attitude  of  Vermont  toward  the 


390  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Fugitive  Slave  Law  continued  to  excite  savage  criticism 
on  the  part  of  the  friends  and  defenders  of  slavery. 
Vermont  was  one  of  the  most  aggressive  foes  of  this 
Southern  institution. 

According  to  the  census  of  1850  Vermont  had  a  popu- 
lation of  314,120,  ranking  twenty-third  in  the  list  of 
States.  This  represented  a  gain  of  22,172,  or  7.6  per 
cent,  compared  with  a  gain  of  11,296,  or  4  per  cent  in 
1840.  This  population  consisted  of  160,123  males  and 
154,181  females.  There  w^ere  718  free  persons  of  color 
in  the  State.  Burlington  was  easily  the  largest  town  in 
the  State,  having  made  a  substantial  gain  during  the 
decade.  Bennington  ranked  second;  Brattleboro,  third; 
and  Rutland,  fourth.  The  most  populous  towns  with  a 
population  in  excess  of  2,500,  are  given  herewith : 
Burlington,  7,585 ;  Bennington,  3,923 ;  Brattleboro, 
3,816;  Rutland,  3,715;  St.  Albans,  3,567;  Middle- 
bury,  3,517;  Woodstock,  3,041;  Castleton,  3,016;  New- 
bury, 2,984;  Northfield,  2,922;  Rockingham,  2,837: 
Brandon,  2,835;  Swanton,  2,824;  St.  Johnsbury, 
2,758;  Georgia,  2.686;  Randolph,  2,666;  Highgate, 
2,653;  Fairfield,  2,591;  Danville,  2,577;  Colches- 
ter, 2,575;  Barnet,  2,521;  Springfidd,  2,162. 

The  population  by  counties  was  as  follows : 

Addison    26,549 

Bennington    18,589 

Caledonia   23,595 

Chittenden   29,036 

Essex    4,650 

Franklin 28,586 

Grand  Isle 4,145 


Daniel  P.  Thompson, 
Author  of  "The  Green  Monntain   Bovs"  and  other  Historical  Novels 


GROWIXc;    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      1^91 

Lamoille   10,872 

Orange  27,296 

Orleans 15,707 

Rutland    33,059 

Washington 24,654 

Windham 29,062 

Windsor 38,320 

There  were  gains  in  twelve  of  the  fourteen  counties, 
the  largest  being  in  Chittenden  county,  and  exceeding 
6,000.  Orange  county  reported  a  slight  decrease  in 
population,  but  Windsor  showed  a  loss  of  more  than 
2,000. 

There  were  in  Vermont  29,763  farms,  2,601,409  acres 
of  improved  and  1,524,413  acres  of  unimproved  land. 
The  total  value  of  farms  was  $78,749,737,  the  value  of 
land  and  buildings  being  $63,367,227.  The  average 
value  per  acre  was  $19.09.  The  total  value  of  live 
stock  w^as  $12,643,228.  There  were  in  the  State  146,128 
milch  cows,  154,143  horses,  1,014,122  sheep  and  66,296 
swine.  The  State  made  in  the  census  year  of  1850, 
12,137,980  pounds  of  butter ;  8,720,834  pounds  of  cheese ; 
and  produced  3,400,717  pounds  of  wool.  The  produc- 
tion of  staple  crops  was  as  follows:  Corn,  2,032,396 
bu. ;  wheat,  535,955  bu. ;  oats,  2,307,734  bu. ;  barley, 
42,150  bu.;  rye,  176,233  bu. ;  buckwheat,  209,819  bu. ; 
field  beans,  104,649  bu. ;  potatoes,  4,951,017  bu.;  hay, 
866,153  tons;  orchard  products  (value),  $315,255; 
flax,  20,852  lbs. ;  hops,  288,023  lbs. ;  silk  in  cocoons,  260 
lbs.  (statistics  appear  only  for  1840  and  1850);  maple 
sugar,  6,349,357  lbs. ;  maple  syrup,  5,697  gallons ;  honey 
(and  beeswax),  249,420  lbs. 


392  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Vermont's  rank  among  the  States  of  the  Union  in  live 
stock  and  agricultural  products  was  as  follows :  Milch 
cows,  sixteenth ;  other  cattle,  nineteenth ;  working  oxen, 
seventeenth;  horses,  nineteenth;  sheep,  seventh;  swine, 
twenty-sixth;  pounds  of  butter,  sixth  (surpassed  by 
New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Illinois  and  Indiana)  ; 
pounds  of  cheese,  third;  pounds  of  wool,  fourth; 
value  of  live  stock,  fifteenth  (first  in  New  England); 
value  of  farms,  eighteenth;  corn,  twenty-third;  wheat, 
eighteenth;  oats,  seventeenth;  barley,  twelfth;  rye, 
twelfth;  buckwheat,  eighth;  beans,  fourteenth;  pota- 
toes, fourth ;  hay,  fourth ;  orchard  products,  tenth ;  flax, 
fifteenth;  hops,  second  (surpassed  by  New  York);  silk 
in  cocoons,  tenth;  maple  sugar,  second  (New  York 
first)  ;  honey,  seventeenth. 

There  were  in  Vermont  in  1850,  1,849  manufacturing 
establishments,  with  an  invested  capital  of  $5,001,377, 
producing  goods  valued  at  $8,570,920,  and  employing 
8,445  hands.  There  were  72  woolen  mills,  employing 
1,393  wage  earners  and  producing  goods  valued  at 
$1,579,161 ;  9  cotton  mills,  employing  241  wage  earners, 
and  manufacturing  goods  valued  at  $280,300.  The 
value  of  other  manufactured  products  was  as  follows: 
Boot  and  shoe  establishments,  $343,353 ;  paper  mill 
products,  $252,370;  agricultural  implements,  $133,355; 
bar,  sheet  and  railroad  iron,  $117,050;  pig  iron  mills, 
$80,000.  The  value  of  home  manufactured  products 
was  $267,710. 

There  were  in  Vermont  in  1850,  7  agricultural  imple- 
ment makers,  3  bell  and  brass  founders,  3  brewers  and 
distillers,  2  button  makers,  126  engineers,  14  glass  manu- 


C^ROWIXO    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      :59:J 

facturers,  22  gunsmiths,  3  hardware  manufacturers,  51 
hat  and  cap  manufacturers,  76  iron  founders,  213 
machinists,  2  wax  makers,  5  nail  manufacturers,  7  piano 
forte  and  musical  instrument  makers,  60  quarrymen,  }il 
sash  and  blind  makers,  18  saw  makers,  10  starch  manu- 
facturers, 265  stone  and  marble  cutters,  4  stove  makers, 
273  tanners  and  curriers,  8  powder  manufacturers,  138 
printers,  3  whip  makers,  18  wooden  ware  manufacturers, 
163  railroad  men,  4  architects,  1  author,  8  bankers,  2 
civil  engineers,  619  clergymen,  17  editors,  508  innkeep- 
ers, 494  lawyers,  623  physicians,  9  sculptors,  5  surgeons, 
12  surveyors,  4  telegraph  operators  and  1  veterinarian. 
There  were  in  the  State  36  newspapers,  of  which  2  were 
daily  papers,  and  15  of  a  literary  character.  The  circula- 
tion of  the  dailies  amounted  to  550  and  of  the  weeklies,  to 
41,206.  The  political  affiliation  of  the  newspapers  was 
as  follows:  Whig,  14;  Democratic,  7.  Vermont  had 
96  libraries,  containing  64,641  volumes.  There  were  30 
public  libraries  containing  21,061  volumes.  The  census 
figures  give  the  following  number  of  churches  in  Ver- 
mont in  1850:  Congregational,  175;  Methodist,  140; 
Baptist,  102;  Union,  76;  Universalist,  38;  Episcopal, 
26 ;  Presbyterian,  1 1 ;  Christian,  9 ;  Roman  Catholic,  8 ; 
Friends,  7;  Unitarian,  2;  Free,  1;  minor  sects,  1.  The 
total  number  returned  was  599  and  the  value  of  church 
property  was  given  as  $1,216,125. 

There  were  in  1850,  2,789  public  schools,  with  4,204 
teachers  and  94,795  pupils;  95  academies  and  private 
schools,  w^ith  272  teachers,  and  6,231  pupils;  and  5  col- 
leges (including  two  medical  institutions,  with  30 
teachers  .and   464    students).      The   average    monthly 


394  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

wages  of  a  farmhand  amounted  to  $13.  The  average 
daily  wage  of  a  laborer  with  board  was  72  cents  and 
without  board  was  97  cents.  There  were  1,879  paupers 
in  the  State  June  1,  1850,  and  105  criminals  in  prison. 

At  the  World's  Fair,  held  in  London,  Vermonters 
exhibited  native  woods,  birdseye  maple,  veneers,  black 
and  white  marble,  slate  pencils,  flour,  maple  sugar,  silk 
handkerchiefs  and  mill  cloths.  Hiram  Powers,  a  Ver- 
monter,  was  awarded  a  medal  for  his  famous  statue, 
"The  Greek  Slave'' ;  Zadock  Thompson  received  a  medal 
for  his  specimens  of  wood;  L.  Dean  of  Manchester  and 
W.  Barnes  of  Rutland  were  awarded  medals  for  maple 
sugar;  and  Robbins  and  Lawrence  of  Windsor  received 
honorable  mention  for  an  exhibit  of  military  rifles. 
These  rifles,  made  for  the  United  States  Government, 
attracted  so  much  attention  that  the  British  Government 
sent  a  commissioner  to  this  country  to  investigate  the 
methods  of  manufacture. 

The  growing  strength  of  the  anti-slavery  movement 
in  the  North  was  shown  in  the  election  of  Charles  Sum- 
ner of  Massachusetts  and  Benjamin  F.  Wade  of  Ohio 
to  the  United  States  Senate.  There  were  evidences  in 
Vermont  of  dissatisfaction  with  the  attitude  of  Presi- 
dent Fillmore's  administration  toward  slavery,  and 
criticism  of  Daniel  Webster's  position  relative  to  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law.  In  a  speech  delivered  at  Annapo- 
lis, Md.,  in  1851,  Mr.  Webster  referred  to  States  "which 
have  sought  by  ingenious  contrivances  of  State  legisla- 
tion, by  roundabout  and  crooked  courses  of  policy,  to 
thwart  the  just  operation  and  fulfilment  of  the  laws  of 
Congress,  passed  to  carry  into  effect  the  compacts  of  the 


(^ROWIXG    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      :W) 

Constitution."  It  was  supposed  at  the  time  that  the 
orator  referred  to  acts  of  the  Vermont,  Massachusetts 
and  Ohio  Legislatures.  There  were  many  Free  Soil 
Democrats  in  Vermont  but  the  faction  which  generally 
controlled  party  action  did  not  break  away  from  the 
sentiment  of  the  party  throughout  the  Union.  At  a 
meeting  held  at  White  River  Junction,  February  20, 
1851,  Lewis  Cass  of  Michigan  was  recommended  as  a 
proper  candidate  for  President  in  1852  and  resolutions 
were  passed  declaring  that  "popular  sovereignty  and 
equal  rights  are  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  Democ- 
racy. In  this  Union  the  States  are  independent 
sovereignties  and  among  other  questions,  that  of  slavery 
must  be  settled  by  each  State  in  its  own  way." 

Nor  were  the  Whigs  a  unit  in  favor  of  the  vigorous 
resolutions  and  radical  measures  adopted  by  the  Ver- 
mont Legislature.  Senator  Phelps  wrote  a  Virginian, 
apologizing  for  the  Vermont  act  relating  to  the  national 
Fugitive  Slave  Law,  which,  he  thought  had  been  hurried 
through  the  General  Assembly,  and,  in  his  judgment,  did 
not  represent  the  sentiments  of  the  people  of  Vermont. 
While  there  was,  doubtless,  some  opposition  on  the  part 
of  the  more  conservative  class  to  this  radical  Vermont 
law,  the  general  sentiment  in  Vermont  was  so  strongly 
opposed  to  slavery  that  it  was  ready  to  approve  almost 
any  measure  that  would  impede  its  extension.  Strictly 
speaking,  Vermont  was  open  to  criticism  for  making 
difficult  the  enforcement  of  a  national  law,  but  that  law 
was  considered  an  evil  and  barbarous  measure,  a  blow 
at  the  spirit  of  freedom.     It  was  an  exhibition  of  the 


396  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

attitude  shown  at  dififerent  periods  in  many  lands,  toward 
odious  and  unjust  laws. 

The  regular  Democratic  State  Convention  was  held  at 
Burlington  in  May,  1851,  and  nominated  John  S.  Robin- 
son of  Bennington  for  Governor.  The  platform  de- 
clared, "That  the  late  'adjustment  measures'  of  Con- 
gress, dictated  not  by  the  South  or  the  North,  but  passed 
in  a  spirit  of  patriotic  concession  by  both,  have  now  be- 
come a  pledge  of  fidelity  of  the  several  States  to  each 
other,  and  should  be  observed  by  all  with  the  obedience 
which  is  due  to  the  Nation's  will,  and  with  that  good 
faith  w^hich  is  requisite  for  the  Nation's  safety." 

The  Free  Democrats  held  a  mass  convention  at  Bur- 
lington and  nominated  Lucius  B.  Peck  for  Governor, 
Ryland  Fletcher  for  Lieutenant  Governor  and  D.  P. 
Thompson  for  Treasurer.  Mr.  Peck  declined  the  nomi- 
nation and  Timothy  P.  Redfield  of  Montpelier  was 
named  in  his  stead. 

The  Whig  Convention,  held  at  Bellows  Falls,  June  25, 
unanimously  voted  to  renominate  Governor  Williams. 
Justin  S.  Morrill  of  Strafiford,  for  the  Resolutions  Com- 
mittee, reported  the  platform.  One  plank  was  as  fol- 
lows: "Resolved,  That  the  enactment  familiarly  known 
as  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  is,  in  our  opinion,  a  matter 
of  ordinary  legislation,  open  at  all  times  and  on  all  occa- 
sions to  discussion,  and  liable  to  be  modified  or  repealed 
at  the  pleasure  of  the  people  as  expressed  through  their 
representatives ;  that  it  is  justly  objectionable  in  some  of 
its  provisions,  and  while  we  cheerfully  admit  our  obliga- 
tion to  obey  it,  as  a  law  of  the  land,  designed  to  fulfil 
a  requirement  of  the  Constitution,  we  equally  insist  upon 


GROWIXG    HATRED   UK   SLAVERY      397 

our  right  to  use  all  lawful  means  to  secure  such  modifica- 
tions of  it  as  time  and  experience  may  demonstrate  to  be 
proper." 

Governor  Williams  was  reelected,  receiving  a  majority 
of  997  votes.  The  report  of  the  canvassing  committee 
was  as  follows:  Williams,  22,676;  Redfield,  14,950; 
Robinson,  6,686;  scattering,  43.  Thomas  E.  Powers  of 
Woodstock  was  reelected  Speaker.  In  his  annual  mes- 
sage. Governor  Williams  suggested  that  a  revision  of  the 
criminal  code  was  desirable,  and  called  attention  to  the 
benefit  that  might  arise  from  opportunities  for  some  use- 
ful work  in  jails,  which  would  enable  the  prisoners  to 
earn  something  toward  the  payment  of  fines  and  costs. 
The  Governor  seems  to  have  been  in  advance  of  his  time 
in  another  matter  of  prison  reform,  as  he  advocated  the 
employment  of  prisoners  in  certain  instances  outside  of 
the  prison  walls.  He  referred  at  length  to  the  criticisms 
made  by  other  States  concerning  Vermont's  attitude 
toward  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  He  declared  that  as 
early  as  1786  it  was  necessary  to  pass  a  law  to  prevent 
the  transportation  of  free  persons  out  of  the  State  to  be 
sold  as  slaves.  He  could  see  no  good  reason  why  an 
inquiry  should  not  be  had  to  determine  whether  a  per- 
son was  or  was  not  arrested  or  imprisoned  by  lawful 
authority.  Communications  from  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina  were  so  disrespectful  and  offensive  that  he  was 
unwilling  to  transmit  them  to  the  Legislature  unless  a 
specific  request  should  be  made  for  them.  The  Gov- 
ernor announced  that  he  would  not  be  a  candidate  for 
reelection. 


398  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

A  banking  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature.  The 
State  Treasurer  was  directed  to  cause  bank  notes  to  be 
engraved  and  printed  to  be  issued  by  incorporated  banks 
of  the  State,  as  a  measure  to  guard  against  counter- 
feiting. As  a  result  of  the  more  rapid  growth  of  other 
States,  Vermont's  Congressional  representation  was  re- 
duced to  three  members,  and  the  State  was  divided  into 
districts,  as  follows:  First  district,  Bennington,  Rut- 
land, Addison  and  Washington  counties ;  Second  district, 
Caledonia,  Orange,  Windham  and  Windsor  counties; 
Third  district,  Essex,  Orleans,  Franklin,  Lamoille, 
Grand  Isle  and  Chittenden  counties.  Articles  of  incor- 
poration were  granted  to  the  Midland  Railroad  Company 
(from  Montpelier  through  Lamoille  and  Franklin  coun- 
ties to  Swanton  Falls),  the  New  York  and  Bennington 
Railroad  Company  (from  Bennington  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts border  to  connect  with  another  road) ;  the 
Swanton  and  Highgate  Railroad  Company;  the  Wan- 
tastiquet  Railroad  Company  ( from  Brattleboro  through 
the  West  River  valley  to  connect  with  the  Western  V^er- 
mont  Railroad  in  Danby  or  Wallingford,  or  to  some 
point  connecting  with  the  Rutland  and  Burlington  Rail- 
road in  Ludlow  or  Mount  Holly)  ;  the  Northern  Tele- 
graph Company  (from  Rutland  to  Boston)  ;  the  Cham- 
plain  Steamboat  Company,  and  several  plank  road  com- 
panies. Senators  and  Representatives  in  Congress 
were  requested  to  use  all  proper  exertions  ''to  secure  the 
effectual  suppression"  of  the  slave  trade  carried  on  under 
the  American  flag.  A  resolution  of  welcome  was  also 
extended  to  Louis  Kossuth,  the  Hungarian  patriot. 


(^ROW'IXc;    IIATRHI)   UK   SLAVERY      :i99 

On  October  16,  soon  after  the  Legislature  convened, 
a  Whig  Convention  was  held  which  elected  as  delegates- 
at-large  to  the  Whig  National  Convention  in  1852,  Jus- 
tin S.  Morrill  of  Strafford  and  Harry  Bradley  of  Bur- 
lington. The  district  delegates  chosen  were  Isaac  T. 
Wright  of  Castleton,  Carlos  Coolidge  of  Windsor,  Wil- 
liam Nash  of  New  Haven  and  H.  H.  Reed  of  Montpelier. 
During  the  year  Hiland  Hall  was  appointed  a  commis- 
sioner to  settle  land  claims  in  California,  and  Edward 
J.  Phelps,  son  of  Ex-Senator  S.  S.  Phelps,  was  appointed 
Second  Comptroller  of  the  Treasury,  to  succeed  Mr. 
Hall. 

Late  in  December,  1851,  Louis  Kossuth,  the  Hun- 
garian patriot,  came  to  Washington,  and  on  January 
8,  1852,  he  met  the  Vermont  delegation  in  Congress  at 
Brown's  Hotel,  when  Congressman  Hebard,  on  behalf 
of  the  delegation,  presented  the  resolution  adopted  by  the 
Vermont  Legislature.  In  his  speech  Mr.  Hebard  said: 
"The  people  of  Vermont  claim  the  honor  of  having  been 
the  first  to  resist  the  encroachments  of  tyrannical  power 
upon  popular  rights;  her  soil  drank  the  first  drop  of 
Revolutionary  blood  that  w^as  spilt  in  defence  of  those 
inalienable  rights  for  which  our  Revolutionary  fathers 
contended  against  the  usurpations  of  the  British  crown, 
and  which  resulted  in  the  independence  of  the  American 
colonies;  and  the  people  of  Vermont,  ever  among  the 
foremost  to  recognize  the  principle  of  popular  govern- 
ment and  popular  rights,  were  the  first,  through  their 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  to  bid  you  wel- 
come." A  letter  from  Governor  Williams  was  read, 
expressing  a  desire  to  welcome  the  distinguished  visitor 


400  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

to  Vermont.  Kossuth  replied  at  some  length,  thanking 
the  Governor  and  the  people  of  the  State  for  their  greet- 
ing, and  saying  that  if  time  and  other  engagements  per- 
mitted it  would  give  him  pleasure  to  visit  the  State. 

At  the  Whig  National  Convention  of  1852,  which 
opened  on  June  16,  Vermont's  vote  on  the  first  ballot 
was  as  follows :  Daniel  Webster,  3 ;  President  Fillmore, 
1 ;  Gen.  Winfield  Scott,  1.  There  was  no  substantial 
change  until  the  fifty-third  ballot,  when  Webster  and 
Fillmore  delegates  from  Vermont  and  other  New  Eng- 
land States  went  to  Scott,  and  nominated  him.  For  a 
Vice  Presidential  candidate  Vermont,  on  the  first  bal- 
lot, cast  3  votes  for  William  A.  Graham  of  North  Caro- 
lina and  1  vote  for  Edward  L.  Bates  of  Missouri.  On 
the  second  ballot  all  the  Vermont  votes  went  to  Graham, 
who  was  nominated.  George  T,  Hodges  of  Rutland  was 
chosen  as  the  Vermont  member  of  the  Whig  National 
Committee.  Justin  S.  Morrill  was  one  of  the  secretaries 
of  the  convention. 

The  Whig  State  Convention  nominated  Erastus  Fair- 
banks of  St.  Johnsbury  for  Governor.  The  regular 
Democrats  nominated  John  S.  Robinson  of  Bennington 
and  the  candidate  of  the  Free  Soil  Democrats  was  Law- 
rence Brainerd  of  St.  Albans. 

Fairbanks  lacked  315  votes  of  the  number  required  to 
elect,  the  official  returns  being  as  follows:  Fairbanks, 
25,795;  Robinson,  14,938;  Brainerd,  9,446;  scattering, 
20.  Fairbanks  was  elected  in  joint  assembly,  receiving 
117  votes,  61  being  cast  for  Robinson  and  40  for  Brain- 
erd. In  the  Senate  there  were  20  Whigs,  7  Democrats 
and  3  Free  Soilers.     In  the  House  there  were  103  Whig 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   401 

members  and  91  in  the  opposition.  Thomas  E.  Powers 
of  Woodstock  was  reelected  Speaker  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  ballot  over  Bradley  Barlow  of  Fairfield  (Dem.) 
and  Horatio  Needham  of  Bristol  (Free  Soil). 

James  Meacham  (Whig)  was  reelected  to  Congress 
from  the  First  district,  and  Andrew  Tracy  of  Woodstock 
( Whig)  was  chosen  in  the  Second  district.  There  was 
no  election  in  the  Third  district,  Alvah  Sabin  (Whig) 
leading  Henry  Adams  (Dem.)  and  A.  J.  Rowell  (Free 
Soil).     Mr.  Sabin  was  elected  later. 

The  Presidential  election  of  1852  resulted  in  an  over- 
whelming Democratic  victory.  General  Scott  received 
the  electoral  votes  of  only  four  States,  Vermont,  Massa- 
chusetts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  a  total  of  42,  while 
Pierce  received  254.  The  two  great  Whig  leaders,  Clay 
and  Webster,  died  before  election  day  and  the  Whig 
party  itself  was  near  its  end. 

V^ermont's  vote  by  counties  for  Scott  (Whig),  Pierce 
(Dem.)  and  Hale  (Free  Soil)  was  as  follows: 


Scott 

Addison    2,041 

Bennington    1,388 

Caledonia  1,673 

Chittenden    1,672 

Essex   467 

Franklin  1,675 

Grand  Isle   295 

Lamoille 393 

Orange 1,799 

Orleans 1,199 


Scatter- 

Pierce 

Hale 

ing 

378 

642 

2>2> 

1,150 

181 

1,480 

487 

803 

908 

382 

16 

1,211 

526 

186 

31 

562 

689 

1,555 

753 

859 

308 

402  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Rutland    2,758  938  77Z          5 

Washington 1,402  1,231  1,217 

Windham 2,053  881  986         14 

Windsor 3,358  1,528  1,105 

Total 22,173     13,044    8,621         52 

Pierce  did  not  carry  a  single  county,  but  Hale  had  a 
plurality  in  Lamoille.  The  Presidential  Electors  chosen 
were  Portus  Baxter  of  Derby,  Alanson  P.  Lyman  of 
Bennington,  Ezekiel  P.  Walton  of  Montpelier,  Edward 
Kirkland  of  Brattleboro  and  Samuel  Adams  of  Grand 
Isle. 

Erastus  Fairbanks,  who  assumed  the  duties  of  Gov- 
ernor, was  born  at  Brimfield,  Mass.,  October  28,  1792. 
He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  taught  school, 
and  came  to  Vermont  about  the  year  1812.  He  began 
the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  Ephraim  Pad- 
dock of  St.  Johnsbury,  but  a  weakness  of  the  eyes  com- 
pelled him  to  abandon  his  law  books.  He  entered  the 
mercantile  business  at  Wheelock,  later  conducted  stores 
at  East  St.  Johnsbury  and  Barnet,  and  returned  to  St. 
Johnsbury  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  stoves  and 
plows  with  his  brother,  Thaddeus.  In  1829  Fairbanks 
Brothers  added  a  new  line  of  business,  the  purchase  and 
preparation  of  hemp.  As  the  method  of  weighing  was 
inaccurate  and  unsatisfactory  the  brothers  invented  a 
platform  scale.  The  demand  for  scales  was  so  great 
that  other  lines  of  business  were  abandoned.  Thaddeus 
perfected  the  invention,  Erastus  furnished  the  busi- 
ness ability  to  place  the  industry  on  a  firm  financial  basis, 
and  it  became  not  only  one  of  Vermont's  greatest  manu- 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   403 

facturing  concerns,  but  the  greatest  of  its  kind  in  the 
world.  From  1836  to  1839,  inclusive,  Erastus  Fairbanks 
represented  St.  Johnsbury  in  the  Legislature.  In  1848 
he  was  chosen  a  Presidential  Elector.  He  was  elected 
Governor  in  1860,  and  was  the  first  of  Vermont's  Civil 
War  Governors.  He  was  active  in  the  construction  of 
the  Passumpsic  Railroad  Company  and  for  many  years 
was  its  president.  He  was  also  a  prominent  member  of 
the  corporation  that  constructed  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie 
Canal.  For  fifteen  years  he  was  president  of  the  Ver- 
mont Domestic  Missionary  Society,  and  for  many  years 
was  a  member  of  the  corporation  of  the  American  Board 
of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions.  A  man  of 
large  wealth,  he  was  generous  in  his  gifts,  and  with  his 
brothers  founded  St.  Johnsbury  Academy,  the  Athe- 
naeum and  the  Museum  of  Natural  Science,  all  institu- 
tions of  which  St.  Johnsbury  may  well  be  proud.  He 
was  one  of  the  notable  figures  in  the  industrial  and 
political  life  of  Vermont.  His  death  occurred  November 
20,  1864. 

Andrew  Tracy,  one  of  the  new  Congressmen,  was 
born  in  Hartford,  December  15,  1797.  He  attended 
Royalton  and  Randolph  Academies  and  entered  Dart- 
mouth College,  but  did  not  complete  his  course.  After 
teaching  school  for  two  years  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  he  re- 
turned to  Hartford  and  studied  law  in  the  office  of 
George  E.  Wales.  During  a  part  of  the  time  he  was 
studying  law  he  acted  as  Postmaster  at  White  River 
village.  In  1826  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  opened 
a  law  office  in  the  village  of  Quechee.  In  1837  he  re- 
moved  to  Woodstock.      He   represented   the   town   of 


404  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Hartford  in  the  Legislature  from  1833  to  1837,  inclusive, 
and  represented  Woodstock,  1842-44,  serving  as  Speaker 
during  this  period  of  three  years.  He  was  one  of  the 
Windsor  county  Senators  in  1839,  was  a  member  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention  of  1836  and  a  Presidential 
Elector  in  1848.  He  was  an  unsuccessful  candidate  for 
the  Whig  nomination  for  Congress  in  1840,  and  served 
one  term  in  the  National  House,  1853-55,  declining  re- 
nomination,  as  he  did  not  find  the  climate  or  the  political 
atmosphere  of  Washington  agreeable.  After  his  retire- 
ment from  Congress  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law. 
Among  his  law  partners  at  different  times  were  Norman 
Williams,  Julius  Converse  and  James  Barrett.  He  died 
at  Woodstock,  October  28,  1868. 

Alvah  Sabin  was  born  in  Georgia,  Vt.,  October  28, 
1793.  He  was  graduated  from  Columbia  College, 
Washington,  D.  C,  studied  theology,  served  in  the  War 
of  1812,  was  ordained  as  a  Baptist  clergyman,  and  held 
pastorates  at  Cambridge,  West  ford  and  Underbill.  He 
became  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  his  native  town 
of  Georgia  in  1825,  continuing  in  that  capacity  until 
1867,  when  he  removed  to  Sycamore,  111.,  where  he  con- 
tinued preaching  until  he  was  a  very  old  man.  He  was 
one  of  a  group  of  clergymen,  of  whom  Ezra  Butler  and 
Asa  Lyon  may  be  mentioned  as  examples,  who  took  an 
active  part  in  Vermont  politics.  He  represented  Geor- 
gia in  the  Legislature  in  1826,  1835,  1838,  1840,  1847- 
49,  1851  and  1861-62;  was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate 
in  1841  and  1843-45;  Secretary  of  State,  1841-42;  mem- 
ber of  the  Constitutional  Conventions  of  1843  and  1850; 
and  was  Assistant  Judge  of  Franklin  County  Court, 


(;ro\vix(;  hatred  of  slavery    405 

1846-1852.  He  served  two  terms  in  Congress  and  was 
a  delegate  to  the  first  National  Anti-Slavery  Convention. 
He  died  in  Sycamore,  III,  January  22,  1885,  aged  ninety- 
one  years. 

In  his  message  to  the  Legislature,  Governor  Fairbanks 
said:  "The  construction  of  railroads,  which  has  been 
prosecuted  with  such  unparalleled  energy  and  persever- 
ance during  the  last  few  years,  has  tended  to  develop  the 
resources  and  capabilities  of  the  State  to  an  extent 
beyond  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the  projectors 
of  these  enterprises,  and  the  system  may  now-  be  re- 
garded as  among  the  greatest  benefactions  of  the  age. 
Thus  far,  however,  the  investments  for  such  construction 
have  not  yielded  a  fair  income  to  the  stockholders,  many 
of  whom  have  been  subjected  to  no  little  pecuniary  em- 
barrassment by  the  losses  which  they  have  sustained." 
He  made  some  allusion  to  national  topics,  arguing  in 
favor  of  higher  tariff  rates. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  session  of  1852,  the 
Legislature  had  under  consideration  a  bill  or  bills  to 
prohibit  the  sale  of  intoxicating  liquor.  A  wave  of  tem- 
perance reform  had  recently  swept  over  the  country,  and 
in  1851  Maine  had  passed  a  prohibition  act,  the  first 
of  its  kind  in  the  United  States.  The  new  system  found 
many  enthusiastic  advocates  in  this  and  other  States. 
At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Vermont  State  Temper- 
ance Society,  held  at  St.  Johnsbury,  January  21-22,  1852, 
resolutions  were  adopted  declaring  the  existing  liquor 
laws  inadequate  and  endorsing  the  Maine  law,  and  com- 
mittees were  appointed  to  draft  a  bill.     This  State  meet- 


406  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

ing  was  followed  by  county  temperance  meetings,  which 
endorsed  the  policy  of  prohibition. 

As  soon  as  the  Legislature  was  organized  petitions 
began  to  pour  in,  asking  for  the  passage  of  a  bill  modelled 
after  the  Maine  law.  It  is  said  that  thirty-eight  thou- 
sand names  were  signed  to  these  petitions,  of  which 
seventeen  thousand,  five  hundred  were  those  of  legal 
voters.  A  select  committee  on  the  Maine  liquor  law  was 
appointed,  and  on  October  27  a  bill  closely  following  the 
provisions  of  the  Maine  act  was  introduced  by  Gen. 
Horatio  Needham  of  Bristol.  A  bill  much  the  same  in 
its  nature  was  introduced  on  November  3  by  Senator 
Bates  of  Orleans  county.  On  November  9,  Neal  Dow, 
the  Maine  apostle  of  prohibition,  addressed  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Legislature  on  temperance  legislation.  On 
November  17,  Senator  Goodhue  of  Windham  county,  for 
the  select  committee  on  temperance,  reported  a  bill  "to 
prevent  the  traffic  in  intoxicating  liquors."  An  amend- 
ment providing  for  a  referendum  on  the  prohibition  law 
was  rejected  by  a  vote  of  15  to  13.  Three  days  later 
this  vote  was  reconsidered,  and  the  amendment  was 
adopted,  the  vote  being  the  same  as  that  by  which  it  was 
previously  rejected.  On  November  20  the  Senate  passed 
the  bill  by  a  vote  of  19  to  6,  three  Senators  being  absent. 
On  November  22  the  House  went  into  committee  of  the 
whole  to  consider  the  prohibition  bill  and  on  motion  of 
Mr.  Barlow  of  Fairfield  it  was  dismissed  by  a  vote  of  92 
to  88.  The  House  then  took  up  the  Senate  bill. 
Various  amendments  were  defeated  and  the  bill  was 
passed  by  the  exceedingly  close  vote  of  91  to  90.  The 
Senate  agreed  to  the  House  amendments  and  sent  the 


GROWIXc;    HATRED   OF   SLAVERY      407 

bill  to  Governor  Fairbanks.  Meanwhile  at  an  evening 
session  a  motion  to  reconsider  the  vote  by  which  the  bill 
had  passed  the  House  was  adopted  and  by  a  vote  of  93 
to  82  the  Senate  was  asked  to  return  the  measure  to  the 
custody  of  the  House.  On  request  of  the  Senate  the 
Governor  returned  the  bill  to  that  body,  and  a  motion 
was  made  to  reconsider  the  vote  concurring  in  the  House 
amendments,  a  parliamentary  procedure  necessary  be- 
fore the  bill  could  be  returned  to  the  House.  By  a  vote 
of  15  to  10  the  Senate  defeated  this  motion.  The  bill, 
therefore,  was  returned  to  the  Governor,  who  signed  it, 
and  the  measure  became  a  law.  The  House  was  so  exas- 
perated because  the  Senate  refused  to  return  the  prohi- 
bition bill  that  it  refused  to  concur  in  the  Senate  joint 
resolution  for  the  election  of  a  State  Superintendent  of 
Education. 

The  bill  prohibited  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxi- 
cating liquor  as  a  beverage,  but  permitted  its  use  for 
sacramental  purposes.  A  County  Commissioner  was 
provided  for  each  county,  who  was  empowered  to  appoint 
town  agents,  who  might  sell  liquor  for  medical,  mechani- 
cal and  chemical  purposes.  The  penalty  for  a  first 
offence  of  selling  or  furnishing  liquor  illegally  was  ten 
dollars  and  costs  of  prosecution;  for  a  second  offence, 
twenty  dollars  and  costs;  for  a  third  ofifence,  twenty  dol- 
lars and  costs  and  imprisonment  in  the  county  jail  for  a 
period  varying  from  three  to  six  months. 

A  State  temperance  convention  and  county  conven- 
tions w^ere  held  to  arouse  interest  in  the  new  law  and 
secure  a  favorable  vote.  The  newspapers  agitated  the 
subject  and  speakers  were  sent  throughout  the  State  to 


408  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

advocate  the  approval  of  the  law.  A  referendum  vote 
was  taken,  literally  on  the  time  when  the  law  should 
take  efifect,  but  actually  on  the  measure  itself,  this  being 
the  only  legal  method,  it  was  believed,  that  a  popular  vote 
could  be  taken  on  a  legislative  act.  The  measure  was 
adopted  by  a  majority  of  1,171  votes,  22,215  in  favor 
and  21,045  against  the  act.  The  total  vote  was  only 
4,689  less  than  that  cast  in  the  September  election. 
Most  of  the  large  towns  gave  substantial  majorities  in 
favor  of  prohibition,  Burlington  giving  333;  Rutland, 
348;  Bennington,  215;  Montpelier,  183;  St.  Johnsbury, 
202;  and  Brattleboro,  121.  Eight  counties  gave  majori- 
ties in  favor  of  the  law  and  six  against  it.  Rutland 
county  gave  the  largest  "yes"  and  Windsor  county  the 
largest  "no"  majority.  The  vote  by  counties  was  as 
follows : 

Yes  No 

Addison 1,994  1,441 

Bennington   1,286  1,207 

Caledonia    1,619  1,591 

Chittenden     1,979  1,242 

Essex 306  410 

Franklin    1,649  1,082 

Grand  Isle 212  165 

Lamoille    841  1,026 

Orange 1,925  2,177 

Orleans    944  1,162 

Rutland   2,765  1,998 

Washington    2,127  1,71 1 

Windham    1,830  2,275 

Windsor    2,033  3,707 


GROWING  HATRED  OF  SLAVERY   409 

General  insurance  legislation  was  enacted.  The 
limits  of  jail  yards  were  extended  to  include  the  entire 
State  and  Ex-Gov.  Charles  K.  Williams  was  designated 
to  revise  the  code  of  Statute  law.  Acts  were  passed  per- 
mitting Burlington  to  incorporate  as  a  city,  granting  a 
village  charter  to  St.  Johnsbury,  and  incorporating  the 
Burlington  and  the  Rutland  Gas  Light  companies  and 
numerous  slate  companies.  Resolutions  were  adopted 
protesting  against  Canadian  reciprocity,  favoring  inter- 
national arbitration,  and  in  view  of  the  fact  that  exten- 
sive grants  of  land  had  been  made  to  Southern  and 
Western  States  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  railroads, 
approval  was  given  to  a  bill  which  had  passed  the 
National  House  of  Representatives,  by  the  terms  of 
which  nine  hundred  thousand  acres  of  public  lands  were 
granted  to  Vermont  for  the  support  of  schools,  or  for 
other  useful  purposes.  This  bill  failed  to  pass  the 
Senate. 

Daniel  Webster  died  on  October  24,  1852,  while  the 
Vermont  Legislature  was  in  session,  and  on  October  25, 
Governor  Fairbanks  sent  a  message  to  that  body,  notify- 
ing the  House  and  Senate  of  the  Nation's  loss.  A  joint 
session  was  held,  and  eulogies  were  pronounced,  the 
principal  address  being  given  by  the  venerable  William 
C.  Bradley,  a  member  of  the  House  who  had  been  a 
personal  friend  and  associate  of  Webster  a  quarter  of  a 
century  before.  For  many  years  Mr.  Bradley  had  been 
opposed  to  Webster  in  politics,  but  in  an  eloquent 
peroration  he  said,  comparing  the  dead  statesman  to  a 
lion :  "When  the  shaft  of  the  Mighty  Hunter  had  laid 
him  low,  dead,  prostrate  before  me,  and  I  looked  upon  his 


410  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

great  and  noble  proportions,  and  the  symmetry  of  his 
make,  I  must  feel  that  he  was  indeed  created  monarch  of 
the  forest.  So  it  has  never  been  permitted  me  to  cease 
admiring  and  bearing  witness  to  the  great  things  of 
Daniel  Webster;  and  if  it  can  soothe  his  mighty  spirit 
to  have  a  political  adversary  twine  the  cypress  round 
his  tomb,  I  freely  offer  myself  to  bear  to  his  memory 
a  tribute  which  I  trust  will  be  also  in  unison  with  the 
feelings  of  the  whole  House."  He  then  offered  a  suit- 
able resolution,  deploring  the  death  of  "the  eminent 
jurist,  legislator  and  statesman,  Daniel  Webster,  whose 
labors  in  the  forum,  the  Senate  and  the  Cabinet,  have 
honored  and  adorned  his  country,  and  carried  its 
celebrity  beyond  the  limits  of  our  language."  The  reso- 
lution also  recognized  the  debt  of  gratitude  which  Ver- 
mont owed  the  great  statesman  for  his  achievements  in 
settling  the  Northern  boundary.  Eifective  speeches 
were  made  by  Messrs.  Barrett  of  Middlebury,  Wardner 
of  Windsor  and  Rowell  of  Troy. 

A  Webster  memorial  service,  held  at  Middlebury,  was 
addressed  by  Ex-Senator  Phelps  in  a  notable  speech, 
which,  unfortunately  was  not  reported. 

Senator  Upham,  who  had  been  in  poor  health  for  some 
time,  died  in  Washington,  January  4,  of  varioloid.  The 
burial  was  in  the  Congressional  Cemetery.  The  Ver- 
mont Watchman  said:  "A  shameful  panic  prevailed  at 
Washington  on  Senator  Upham's  death — somewhat 
palliated  but  by  no  means  justified  by  the  infectious  char- 
acter of  the  disease.  The  consequences  of  the  panic  were 
too  painful  to  be  made  public."  No  doubt  it  was  sus- 
pected that  the  disease  was  smallpox.     Senator  William 


(;ro\vl\c;  hatred  of  slavery    411 

H.  Seward,  in  eulogistic  remarks,  said  of  Senator 
Upham:  "No  gate  was  so  strong,  no  lock  so  fast  and 
firm,  as  the  watch  he  kept  against  the  approach  of  cor- 
ruption or  even  undue  influence  or  persuasion." 

Ex-Senator  Phelps  was  appointed  by  the  Governor  to 
succeed  Senator  Upham,  thus  transgressing  the  so-called 
"Mountain  Rule,"  whereby  one  Senator  is  taken  from  the 
east  and  one  from  the  west  side  of  the  Green  Mountains. 
It  happened  that  at  the  time  of  Senator  Upham's  death 
the  vote  of  every  Whig  Senator  was  desired  for  the 
confirmation  of  a  nomination  for  Justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  as  it  was  feared  that  if  the  appointment  went  over 
to  the  incoming  administration  a  secessionist  Democrat 
would  be  appointed.  Mr.  Phelps  was  in  Washington 
at  the  time,  and,  owing  to  much  urging  on  the  part  of 
influential  men,  he  was  given  a  temporary  appointment. 

The  Whigs,  the  Democrats  and  the  Free  Democrats 
nominated  the  same  candidates  for  Governor  who  had 
been  named  by  these  parties  the  preceding  year.  The 
Whigs  were  weakened  by  the  loss  of  anti-slavery  votes 
and  sufifered  as  a  result  of  the  passage  of  the  prohibition 
liquor  law  of  1852.  Erastus  Fairbanks  led  in  the  Gov- 
ernorship contest  but  there  w-as  no  choice,  and  the  Legis- 
lature was  called  upon  to  elect.  The  popular  vote  was : 
Fairbanks,  20,849;  Robinson,  18,142;  Brainerd.  8,291; 
scattering,  133.  The  political  division  of  the  Senate 
was :  Whigs,  1 1 ;  Democrats,  6 ;  Free  Soil  Democrats, 
6.  One  Democratic  Senator  died  after  election.  The 
political  division  of  the  House  was :  Whigs,  95 ;  Demo- 
crats, 82;  Free  Soil  Democrats,  37.  There  was  a  pro- 
longed contest  over  the  election  of   Speaker,   Horatio 


412  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Needham,  a  Free  Soil  Democrat,  being  elected  on  the 
thirty-first  ballot,  most  of  the  Democrats  voting  for  him 
at  last.  The  first  ballot  for  Governor  in  joint  assembly 
resulted  as  follows:  Fairbanks,  110;  Robinson,  97; 
Brainerd,  38.  There  was  no  choice  on  Thursday  or 
Friday  and  the  joint  assembly  was  adjourned  until  the 
following  Wednesday.  Again  there  was  no  election, 
but  on  Thursday,  October  27,  on  the  twentieth  ballot, 
John  S.  Robinson  was  elected,  the  vote  being,  Robinson, 
120;  Fairbanks,  104;  Brainerd,  15.  Two  blank  ballots 
were  cast.  Robinson's  vote,  120,  was  just  the  number 
required  to  elect,  and  a  sufficient  number  of  Free  Soilers 
left  Brainerd  to  make  possible  the  election  of  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate.  By  the  same  coalition  other  candidates 
of  the  same  party  were  elected,  Jefferson  P.  Kidder  of 
Randolph,  Lieutenant  Governor,  and  John  A.  Page  of 
Montpelier,  Treasurer.  For  twenty-five  years  there  had 
been  no  Democratic  Governor  of  Vermont,  and  none 
has  been  elected  since  (1921).  The  combination  which 
elected  Democratic  State  officials  and  a  Free  Soil  Demo- 
cratic Speaker  did  not  hold  together  for  the  election  of 
a  United  States  Senator  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of 
William  Upham,  deceased. 

On  the  first  ballot  in  the  Senate  Daniel  Kellogg 
(Dem.)  received  8  votes;  Lawrence  Brainerd  (Free 
Soil),  3;  Stephen  Royce,  2;  scattering,  15.  The  vote  in 
the  House  was  as  follows :  Daniel  Kellogg,  75 ;  Jacob 
Collamer  (Whig),  65;  Lawrence  Brainerd,  22;  Oscar  L. 
Shafter  (Free  Soil),  21;  Portus  Baxter,  9;  Charles 
Davis,  6;  William  Hey  wood,  Jr.,  3;  Carlos  Coolidge,  2; 
scattering,  6.     Balloting  continued  throughout  an  un- 


GROWING   HATRED   OF  SLAVERY      41:5 

usually  long  session,  which  adjourned  on  December  6 
without  having  elected  a  Senator.  The  vote  on  the 
thirty-ninth  and  last  ballot  was :  Kellogg,  86;  Collamer, 
80;  Shafter,  18;  Brainerd,  9;  scattering,  3. 

John  S.  Robinson,  born  in  Bennington,  November  10, 
1804,  was  the  son  of  Nathan  Robinson,  the  grandson  of 
Gen.  Moses  Robinson  and  the  great  grandson  of  Samuel 
Robinson,  pioneer  settler  of  Bennington.  Graduating 
from  Williams  College  in  1824,  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Bennington  county  bar  in  the  same  year  and  became  one 
of  the  prominent  lawyers  of  Vermont.  He  represented 
Bennington  in  the  Legislature  in  1832  and  1833  and  was 
a  Senator  from  Bennington  county  in  1838  and  1839.  He 
was  several  times  an  unsuccessful  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor and  Congressman.  He  attended  the  Democratic 
National  Convention  of  1860,  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  as 
chairman  of  the  Vermont  delegation,  and  while  in  that 
city  was  stricken  with  apoplexy  and  died  on  April  24. 
His  body  was  brought  to  his  home  for  burial  and  the 
funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  President  Hopkins  of 
Williams  College,  a  fellow  student  in  that  institution. 

In  his  annual  message  Governor  Robinson  declared 
that  the  prohibitory  liquor  law  had  "engaged  the  atten- 
tion and  excited  the  feelings  of  the  community  perhaps 
more  than  any  other  legislation  since  the  organization 
of  the  government."  He  considered  several  provisions 
of  the  law  of  doubtful  constitutionality  and  expediency. 
In  his  opinion  the  idea  that  the  habits  and  tastes  of  a 
people  may  be  materially  changed  by  legislative  enact- 
ments, w^as  "at  variance  with  the  past  history  and  experi- 
ence of  the  world."     "A  very  respectable  portion,"  said 


414  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

he,  "perhaps  a  majority  of  the  citizens  of  the  State,  re- 
gard the  existing  law  as  intolerant  in  principle,  oppres- 
sive in  its  enactments,  if  not  objectionable  in  the  manner 
of  its  execution/'  He  therefore  recommended  a  modifi- 
cation of  the  law,  "which,  while  it  shall  preserve  the 
State  from  the  vice  of  intemperance,  will  also  maintain 
the  rights  of  our  citizens  against  infringement  and  their 
dwellings  from  wanton  and  malicious  intrusion."  The 
Governor  recognized  that  his  opinion  did  not  "accord 
with  the  sentiments  and  feelings  of  a  numerous  and 
highly  intelligent  portion  of  our  citizens." 

The  prohibitory  law  was  amended  in  some  respects, 
but  no  fundamental  changes  were  made.  It  was  pro- 
vided that  the  words  "give  away"  should  not  prevent  the 
giving  of  liquor  in  private  dwellings  unless  they  became 
a  public  resort,  but  none  might  be  given  to  an  habitual 
drunkard.  Cider  might  be  sold,  manufactured  or  used, 
but  might  not  be  sold  in  places  of  public  resort  or  fur- 
nished to  habitual  drunkards.  Respondents  in  liquor 
cases  should  be  entitled  to  trial  by  jury.  The  comple- 
tion of  the  Geological  Survey  was  authorized  and  Prof. 
Zadock  Thompson  was  appointed  State  Naturalist,  and 
authorized  to  complete  the  survey.  The  Governor  was 
requested  to  appoint  a  committee  of  three  to  receive  pro- 
posals from  citizens  of  Burlington  for  the  removal  of  the 
State  capital  to  that  place.  Several  slate  and  marble 
companies  were  incorporated. 

In  the  apportionment  of  Congressional  Committees, 
Senator  Foot  was  assigned  to  Pensions.  The  House 
assignments  were:  Meacham,  Judiciary;  Tracy, 
Patents;  Sabin,  Revisal  and  Unfinished   Business  and 


GROWING   HATRED  OF  SLAVERY      415 

Expenditures  on  Public  Buildings.  On  January  31, 
1854,  Senator  Foot  introduced  a  bill  incorporating  the 
National  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  seventy- five  million  dollars.  The  Vermont 
Senator  also  introduced  a  bill  to  appropriate  ten  million 
acres  of  public  lands,  the  proceeds  to  be  distributed  pro 
rata  to  the  States  for  the  relief  of  the  insane. 

Owing  to  the  failure  of  the  Vermont  Legislature  to 
elect  a  successor  to  Senator  Upham,  a  question  arose  in 
regard  to  the  right  of  Judge  Phelps  to  retain  the  posi- 
tion to  which  he  had  been  appointed  by  Governor  Fair- 
banks, lie  had  been  commissioned  "to  serve  until  the 
action  of  the  Legislature."  Senator  William  H.  Seward 
of  New  Vork  ofifered  a  resolution  providing  that  Mr. 
Phelps  be  allowed  to  retain  his  seat.  Senator  Foot  and 
others  supported  the  resolution  and  it  was  referred  to 
the  Judiciary  Committee.  The  committee  presented  a 
divided  report,  the  majority,  consisting  of  three  mem- 
bers, declared  Mr.  Phelps  entitled  to  his  seat,  while  a 
minority  of  two  Senators  declared  that  he  was  not  en- 
titled to  hold  it.  The  case  dragged  along  for  several 
weeks,  the  discussion  of  the  Nebraska  bill  overshadow- 
ing all  other  Congressional  matters.  Finally,  on  March 
16,  the  Senate,  by  a  vote  of  26  to  12,  decided  that  Judge 
Phelps  was  not  entitled  to  a  seat  in  the  Senate  after  the 
I^egislature  of  Vermont  had  had  an  opportunity  to  elect 
a  Senator. 


Chapter  XXXIII 
THE   RISE   OF   THE   REPUBLICAN    PARTY 


THE  introduction  of  a  Senate  bill,  in  Congress, 
early  in  the  session,  providing  a  territorial  form 
of  government  for  Nebraska,  with  a  stipulation 
that  any  State  or  States  to  be  formed  therefrom  should 
decide,  each  for  itself,  whether  slavery  should  or  should 
not  exist,  together  with  an  amendment  expressly  repeal- 
ing the  Missouri  Compromise,  began  one  of  the  most 
momentous  contests  in  the  history  of  American  legisla- 
tion. As  a  result  a  new  political  party  was  formed,  a 
Civil  War  followed  within  a  decade,  and  a  Solid  South 
became  a  feature  of  the  political  life  of  the  Nation. 
Probably  all  of  these  things  were  destined  to  happen 
in  the  process  of  eliminating  slavery  from  the  United 
States,  but  the  Nebraska  bill  was  the  culminating  feature 
of  a  long  series  of  events  which  united  the  North  in  its 
determination  that  slavery  should  go  not  one  step  far- 
ther. The  Nebraska  bill  passed  the  Senate  on  March  3, 
1854,  by  a  vote  of  Z7  to  14,  Senator  Foot  voting  against 
the  passage.  Senator  Phelps  did  not  vote,  as  his  right 
to  a  seat  was  in  doubt.  The  anger  of  the  North  flamed 
up  and  spread  with  the  fierceness  of  a  prairie  fire.  As 
an  illustration  of  public  sentiment  in  Vermont,  the 
Montpelier  Watchman  bitterly  denounced  the  act  in  an 
editorial,  entitled  "The  Deed  of  Darkness,"  which  de- 
clared that  the  Southern  Whigs  who  voted  for  the  bill 
"have  probably  put  an  end  to  the  Whig  party  of  the 
South.  Henceforth  we  owe  them  no  allegiance  and  we 
mean  never  knowingly  to  give  them  our  confidence  or 
support." 

When  the  bill  appeared  in  the  House,  Mr.  Meacham 
of  Vermont  opposed  it.      "The  people."  said  he,  "are 


420  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

absolutely  struck  dumb  by  the  audacity  of  the  proposi- 
tion. If  this  bill  passes  there  will  be  raised  in  the  North 
a  more  bitter  and  prolonged  anti-slavery  excitement 
than  ever."  He  challenged  the  friends  of  the  measure 
to  make  it  an  issue  in  the  next  campaign.  He  hoped  if 
the  bill  were  to  become  a  law  "it  would  be  passed  on  the 
26th  inst.  (May) — the  day  of  the  great  eclipse — for 
there  will  rest  on  it  'the  blackness  of  darkness  forever'." 
All  the  Vermont  Congressmen  voted  against  the  bill, 
but  it  passed  the  House  on  May  12,  by  a  vote  of  113  to 
100,  and  the  signature  of  President  Pierce  made  it  a 
law. 

After  the  passage  of  the  Nebraska  bill  by  the  Senate, 
and  before  action  had  been  taken  by  the  House,  meet- 
ings were  held  in  great  numbers  throughout  the  North, 
protesting  against  the  measure.  A  call  was  issued  for 
such  a  meeting  to  be  held  at  Montpelier  on  March  2, 
1854,  an  appeal  being  made  "to  the  opponents,  irrespec- 
tive of  party  distinction,  of  the  proposed  abrogation  of 
the  Missouri  act,  forever  prohibiting  slavery  in  the  terri- 
tory acquired  from  France  north  of  36  degrees  30 
minutes."  This  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  George 
W.  Bailey  of  Middlesex.  William  French  of  Williston 
was  elected  president  and  E.  P.  Walton,  Jr.,  of  Mont- 
pelier, editor  of  the  Vermont  Watchman,  was  one  of  the 
secretaries.  Among  those  actively  engaged  were  Wil- 
liam P.  Briggs  of  Richmond,  D.  P.  Thompson  and  F.  F. 
Merrill  of  Montpelier,  H.  B.  Stacy  of  Burlington, 
E.  D.  Barber  of  Middlebury  and  William  M.  Pingry  of 
Weathersfield.  The  following  resolutions  were  unani- 
mously adopted:     "Whereas,  it  is  proposed  to  abrogate 


Killington  Peak  from  Pico 


RISE  OI^'  THE   REPUBLICAN   PARTN'    V21 

the  provision  made  by  Congress  in  1820,  prohibiting 
slavery  forever  in  the  territory  acquired  from  France, 
lying  north  of  36  degrees,  30  minutes;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we,  freemen  of  Vermont,  in  State 
convention  assembled,  do  most  solenmly  protest  against 
such  abrogation  in  the  name  of  freedom,  of  patriotism, 
and  of  the  sacred  requirements  of  our  holy  religion." 

*'We  protest  against  it  as  treason  to  the  cause  of 
human  freedom;  as  a  clear  violation  of  the  faith  of  the 
Government,  which  was  pledged  to  the  people  'forever,' 
by  the  very  terms  of  the  act  of  1820;  and  as  intended  to 
extend  the  unrighteous  and  abominable  system  of  Ameri- 
can slavery  into  a  vast  territory,  which  has  been  sacredly 
dedicated  to  Freedom. 

''We  protest  against  it  as  an  act  which  will  destroy 
the  confidence  of  the  people  in  the  integrity  of  their 
Government,  and  the  stability  of  its  laws,  and  disturb 
the  peace  and  endanger  the  prosperity  of  the  Union. 

"We  protest  against  it  as  an  act  against  right,  with- 
out excuse — without  rightful  authority,  and,  therefore, 
to  be  repudiated  and  resisted  by  the  people,  to  the  last 
extremity. 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  readiness  of  the  South  to 
absolve  themselves  from  all  obligation  imposed  upon 
them  by  the  Missouri  Compromise,  so-called — a  measure 
proposed  by  the  South,  unwillingly  acceded  to  by  the 
North,  and  by  men  of  all  sections  looked  upon  as  an  en- 
actment possessing  a  sanctity  second  only  to  that  of  the 
Constitution  itself,  and,  of  course,  of  binding  force  upon 
all — we  are  admonished  that  too  much  reliance  has  been 
placed  upon  the  honor  and  'chivalrous'  good  faith  of  the 


422  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

South — and  hope  the  time  is  close  at  hand  when  the  free 
North  will  be  disposed  to  listen  rather  to  the  voice  of 
Justice  than  of  Slavery — and  give  heed  to  the  dictates 
of  mercy,  rather  than  implicitly  obey  the  imperious  com- 
mands of  slaveholders. 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  contest  that  seems  to  be 
approaching  we  will  know  no  party  but  our  country,  and 
that  if  our  Southern  brethren  are  determined  to  drive 
us  to  that  impassable  line  beyond  which  is  the  security, 
protection  and  extension  of  human  slavery,  they  may 
learn  that  Slavery  and  not  Freedom  will  be  'crushed 
out'." 

After  numerous  speeches  had  been  made,  the  follow- 
ing executive  committee  was  chosen:  Charles  Adams 
of  Burlington,  John  McLane  of  Cabot,  Azil  Spalding  of 
Montpelier,  Daniel  Roberts  of  Manchester  and  E.  P. 
Walton,  Jr.,  of  Montpelier. 

At  several  of  the  Vermont  town  meetings  held  in 
March,  1854,  resolutions  were  adopted,  condemning  the 
Nebraska  bill.  Charlotte  censured  Senator  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  of  Illinois,  a  native  of  Vermont,  for  his  advo- 
cacy of  the  measure.  Springfield  voters  declared  that 
*'We  will  vote  for  such  men,  and  such  men  only,  as  will 
use  their  vote  and  influence  to  protect  this  territory  from 
the  encroachments  of  slavery." 

Evidences  of  a  new  political  alignment  began  almost 
as  soon  as  the  Nebraska  bill  had  passed  the  Senate,  and 
the  people  of  Vermont  were  in  the  forefront  of  this 
movement.  Never  before  or  since  has  there  been  such 
a  loosening  of  party  ties  in  the  State  as  that  which 
occurred  from  1854  to  1861.     The  hatred  of  slaverv  and 


\US\i  Ol'    TIIIC   KKPnUJCAX    rAkTV    423 

the  determination  that  tlic  Territories  should  remain  free 
from  bondage  were  so  stroni^;-  that  party  affiHations, 
often  of  a  hfetime,  were  cast  aside. 

A  mass  meeting  held  in  Rutland  county  called  for 
united  action  "until  the  repealing  clause  (referring  to 
the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise)  shall  itself  be 
repealed;  and  if  disunion  be  the  result,  let  the  guilty 
authors  of  the  unnecessary  measure  be  responsible  for 
the  consequences." 

A  Chittenden  county  meeting  called  at  the  Court 
House  in  Burlington,  held  morning,  afternoon  and  eve- 
ning sessions,  the  auditorium  being  crowded.  Resolu- 
tions were  adopted  protesting  against  the  passage  of  the 
Nebraska  bill.  President  Labaree  of  Middlebury  Col- 
lege presided  at  an  Addison  county  meeting  held  at  Ver- 
gennes.  At  a  Franklin  county  meeting  held  at  St. 
Albans,  a  call  for  a  State  convention  w^as  signed  by 
Democrats,  Whigs  and  Free  Soilers. 

In  its  issue  of  March  25,  1854,  the  Vermont  Tribune 
proposed  that  the  State  Committee  appointed  at  the 
Anti-Nebraska  meeting  held  in  Montpelier,  should  call 
a  mass  meeting  to  nominate  a  State  ticket,  irrespective 
of  previous  connections,  representing  opposition  to  fur- 
ther extension  of  slavery.  The  Vermont  Watchman 
commended  this  suggestion  to  the  politicians  and  people 
of  all  parties,  saying:  "United  political  action  to  resist 
the  extension  of  slavery  is  a  necessity  of  the  times."  It 
believed  the  North  should  unite  to  control  the  next  House 
of  Representatives.  If  Southern  members  threatened 
to  withdraw.  "Let  them  threaten  and  withdraw  if  they 
dare.     If  the  slavery  propagandists  choose  to  resort  to 


424  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

disunion,  let  them  take  the  responsibiHty."  The  Whig 
party  ought  to  take  the  lead  in  the  proposed  union. 

In  commenting  on  the  Nebraska  bill,  in  its  issue  of 
March  29,  1854,  the  Middlcbury  Register  said :  "In  this 
state  of  things  an  inevitable  result  now  appears  to  be  the 
formation  of  a  great  Republican  party  of  the  North." 
A  suitable  platform  is  quoted,  written  by  John  G.  Whit- 
tier  and  published  in  the  National  Bra.  This  reference 
to  a  Republican  party  is  one  of  the  first  on  record. 
Several  Vermont  newspapers  opposed  the  dissolution  of 
the  Whig  party.  The  name  meant  much  to  them, 
although  it  should  be  remembered  that  this  was  not  a 
long  lived  party,  having  been  in  existence  only  about 
twenty  years.  The  Watchman  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  while  several  editors  held  that  opponents  of 
slavery  extension  should  come  to  the  Whig  party,  Free 
Soil  newspapers  contended  that  Anti-Nebraska  Whigs 
ought  to  come  into  the  Free  Soil  party. 

The  Whig  State  Convention  was  held  at  Rutland, 
June  7,  1 854.  A  letter  from  Ex-Gov.  Erastus  Fairbanks 
announced  that  business  engagements  would  prevent  his 
candidacy  for  the  office  of  Governor.  The  platform,  re- 
ported by  E.  P.  Walton,  Jr.,  condemned  in  the  most 
vigorous  terms  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise 
as  "palpable  perfidy  to  a  snlcnin  ])lcdge  of  freedom," 
and  invited  the  cooperation  of  all  freemen.  A  hint  of 
the  possible  formation  of  a  new  party  is  found  in  the 
recommendation  that  if  a  national  convention  should 
be  called  to  resist  the  encroachments  and  extension  of 
slavery,  delegates  should  be  appointed  from  each  Con- 
gressional district.     Judge  vStophen  Royce  of  Berkshire 


lUSE  Ul"    TllK   RKl'L'lJIJCAN    PARTY    425 

was  nominated  for  Governor  and  Oscar  L.  Shafter  of 
Wilmington  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 

The  Democratic  Stale  C\)nvention,  held  at  Montpelier, 
June  21,  announced  its  unshaken  devotion  to  the  admin- 
istration of  President  Pierce,  but  declared,  "We  do'nt 
propose  to  make  difference  of  opinion  among  Democrats 
in  relation  to  the  policy  of  the  provisions  of  the  bill  estab- 
lishing a  territorial  government  for  Nebraska  and 
Kansas  a  test  of  party  faith."  The  convention  approved 
the  right  of  the  people  "to  regulate  their  own  domestic 
institutions."  The  ticket  of  the  previous  year  was  re- 
nominated, but  letters  were  read  from  Governor  Robin- 
son and  Lieutenant  Governor  Kidder,  declining  again 
to  be  candidates.  Merritt  Clark  of  Poultney  and  Wil- 
liam Mattocks  of  Peacham  were  nominated,  respectively, 
for  Governor  and  Lieutenant  Governor.  Hiram  Atkins 
of  Bellows  Falls  opposed  the  plank  in  the  platform  en- 
dorsing Senator  Douglas'  policy  of  "Squatter  Sover- 
eignty." Others  attempted  to  join  in  condemning  this 
feature  but  debate  was  cut  off  by  a  motion  to  adjourn, 
which  was  adopted. 

A  call  was  issued  for  a  mass  convention  of  all  per- 
sons "in  favor  of  resisting  by  all  constitutional  means 
the  usurpations  of  the  propagandists  of  slavery,"  to  be 
held  at  Montpelier  on  July  4.  The  date  was  changed 
to  July  13,  the  anniversary  of  the  adoption  of  the  Ordi- 
nance of  1787,  dedicating  to  Freedom  all  the  territory 
north  of  the  Ohio  River.  A  long  list  of  names,  many 
of  them  well  known  in  State  affairs,  was  attached  to  this 
call,  headed  by  that  of  William  C.  Bradley  of  Westmin- 
ster, five  times  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Governor. 


426  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

This  convention  met  on  the  day  appointed,  at  the  State 
House,  the  attendance  being  estimated  from  six  hundred 
to  eight  hundred  persons.  It  was  called  to  order  by 
George  W.  Bailey  of  Middlesex,  and  Lawrence  Brainerd 
of  St.  Albans  was  elected  president.  It  was  recom- 
mended that  this  organization  should  be  called  the 
Republican  party.  The  platform  demanded  the  protec- 
tion of  Free  States  from  "Southern  aggression  and 
Northern  treachery";  the  recovery  of  the  rights  of  the 
Free  States  as  an  integral  part  of  the  Union ;  and  for  the 
rescue  of  the  General  Government  from  the  control  of 
the  slave  power.  Slavery  was  condemned  as  "a  great 
moral,  social  and  political  evil";  the  repeal  of  the  Mis- 
souri Compromise  was  denounced  as  "inconsistent  with 
the  fundamental  principles  of  natural  justice,  and  de- 
structive of  all  confidence  in  the  integrity,  good  faith 
and  honor  of  the  National  and  State  governments  favor- 
ing such  repeal."  All  compromises  with  slavery  were 
declared  to  be  ended ;  and  the  platform  continued :  "Our 
rallying  cry  shall  henceforth  be  the  repeal  of  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law  and  of  the  interstate  slave  trade,  the 
abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  the  pro- 
hibition of  slavery  in  all  the  Territories  of  the  United 
States,  and  the  admission  of  no  more  slave  States  into 
the  Union." 

On  general  topics,  the  platform  declared  for  "a  tariff 
for  revenue  with  proper  discrimination  in  favor  of 
American  industry,"  free  homesteads  on  public  lands  to 
actual  settlers,  a  judicious  system  of  river  and  harbor 
improvements,  cheaper  postal  rates  and  the  abolition  of 
the  franking  privilege,  election  of  Postmasters  and  other 


RlSiC   Ol-    TllIC   REPL'IUJCAX    ['ARTY    427 

civil  officers  as  soon  as  possible,  and  included  an  endorse- 
ment of  the  prohibitory  licjuor  law.  The  calling  of  a 
convention  "for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  national  organ- 
ization opposed  to  the  aggression  of  slavery,  and  for  the 
adoption  of  other  and  more  effectual  measures  of  resist- 
ance to  such  aggression,"  were  recommended. 

The  following  ticket  was  nominated :  For  Governor, 
Gen.  E.  P.  Walton  of  Montpelier;  for  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor, Ryland  Fletcher  of  Cavendish;  for  Treasurer, 
Henry  AI.  Bates  of  Northfield.  Mr.  Bates  was  the 
Whig  candidate  for  the  same  office.  D.  P.  Thompson, 
E.  1\  Walton,  jr.,  O.  H.  Piatt,  William  M.  Pingrey  and 
E.  D.  Barber  were  chosen  delegates  to  a  National  Con- 
vention. Lawrence  Brainerd  of  St.  Albans,  John 
McLean  of  Cabot,  J.  D.  Bradley  of  Brattleboro,  Thomas 
E.  Powers  of  W^oodstock,  James  S.  Moore  of  Straft'ord, 
W^illiam  H.  French  of  Williston  and  Bliss  N.  Davis  of 
Danville  were  chosen  as  a  State  Committee. 

Immediately  after  adjournment  the  Free  Democratic 
State  Convention  assembled,  and,  by  a  large  majority, 
adopted  the  platform  and  endorsed  the  ticket  of  the  mass 
convention  just  held,  although  objection  was  made  by 
a  few  delegates  to  the  nomination  of  Messrs.  Walton  and 
Bates. 

On  the  same  day  similar  Anti-Nebraska  State  Conven- 
tions were  held  in  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Wisconsin.  The 
birth  of  the  Republican  party  is  generally  considered  to 
have  taken  place  in  an  oak  grove  at  Jackson,  Mich., 
where  a  State  Convention  was  held  on  July  6,  1854.  If 
the  Vermont  Convention  had  been  held,  as  originally 


428  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

called,  on  July  4,  that  honor  might  have  come  to  the 
Green  Mountain  State. 

Several  county  conventions  were  called,  appealing  to 
dli  persons  opposed  to  the  aggressions  of  the  slave  power. 
The  Orange  county  call  was  for  a  Republican  Conven- 
tion, and  Whigs  and  Republicans  united  on  a  county 
ticket.  A  Lamoille  County  Republican  Convention  was 
also  called.  E.  B.  Sawyer  was  its  secretary.  Horace 
Powers  was  nominated  for  Senator  and  Russell  S.  Page 
for  Sheriff.  In  Orleans  county  the  Free  Soilers  rejected 
an  offer  to  unite  with  the  Whigs.  In  Washington 
county,  the  Democrats  and  Free  Soil  Democrats  nomi- 
nated a  union  ticket.  It  had  been  expected  by  many  of 
the  opponents  of  slavery  that  the  mass  convention  held 
at  Montpelier  on  July  13,  would  endorse  the  nomination 
of  Judge  Royce  for  Governor,  made  by  the  Whigs. 
O.  L.  Shafter,  the  Whig  nominee  for  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor, had  declined  to  accept  the  nomination,  as  he  had 
made  arrangements  to  go  West.  The  Whig  State  Com- 
mittee deferred  the  filling  of  the  vacancy,  evidently 
hoping  that  a  coalition  ticket  might  be  named.  On 
July  21,  General  Walton  declined  the  nomination  for 
Governor,  made  on  July  13,  in  a  letter  in  which  he  said 
that  he  would  have  accepted  *'at  this  important  crisis  in 
our  National  and  State  affairs,  had  not  another  candi- 
date been  in  nomination  for  the  same  office,  known  to 
cherish  sentiments  in  unison  with  my  own,  and  in  accord- 
ance with  those  adopted  at  the  mass  meeting."  The 
Republican  Committee,  with  one  member  dissenting, 
then  nominated  Judge  Royce  for  Governor,  and  on 
August    1    he  accepted,   finding  the  resolutions  of   the 


RISK  OK  THE   RICPUBLICAN    IVVRTV    429 

Whig  and  Republican  Conventions  substantially  the 
same.  The  Whig  State  Committee  nominated  the 
Republican  candidate,  Ryland  Fletcher,  to  fill  the  vacancy 
for  second  place  on  the  State  ticket,  and  a  coalition  was 
thus  assured.  The  passage  of  the  Nebraska  bill  in  Con- 
gress had  destroyed  the  union  of  Free  Soilers  and  Demo- 
crats, which  had  elected  John  S.  Robinson,  Governor, 
and  in  previous  elections  had  imperilled  Whig  supremacy 
in  Vermont,  but  it  had  also  destroyed  the  Whig  party 
in  the  Nation.  Southern  Whigs  and  Northern  Whigs 
were  hopelessly  split  on  the  rock  of  slavery. 

In  this  period,  when  party  ties  were  being  broken,  a 
new  organization  arose,  called  the  American  party,  but 
generally  described  as  Know  Nothings.  Its  meetings 
were  held  in  secret  and  its  nominations  and  strength  were 
not  known  until  the  election  results  were  announced. 
Opposition  to  alien  influences  and  hostility  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  seem  to  have  been  the  motives  which 
led  to  the  formation  of  this  party.  Not  a  few  local  elec- 
tions in  Vermont  were  carried  by  Know  Nothings. 
Leading  Vermont  newpapers,  however,  strongly  opposed 
the  movement. 

Andrew  Tracy  had  declined  again  to  be  a  candidate 
for  Congress,  and  the  Whigs  had  nominated  Justin  S. 
Morrill  of  Strafford.  The  election  resulted  in  a  sweep- 
ing victory  for  the  Coalition  State  ticket,  Royce  being 
elected  by  a  majority  of  11,238.  There  were  only  two 
Democrats  in  the  State  Senate  and  the  Democrats  elected 
less  than  one-third  of  the  House  membership.  The  offi- 
cial vote  for  Governor  was  as  follows : 


430  HISTORY   OF   VERMONT 

Stephen    Royce 27,926 

Merritt  Clark 15,084 

Lawrence    Brainerd 619 

William  C.  Kittredge 293 

Oscar  L.  Shaf ter 255 

Horatio  Needham 302 

Scattering 135 

Every  county  gave  Royce  a  majority.  Not  a  Demo- 
cratic Representative  was  elected  from  Addison  county, 
only  one  from  Chittenden  county,  and  only  two  from 
Rutland  county.  James  Meacham  v^as  reelected  mem- 
ber of  Congress  from  the  First  district  by  a  majority  of 
nearly  5,000,  and  Alvah  Sabin,  in  the  Third  district,  was 
returned  by  a  majority  exceeding  4,200.  A  third  can- 
didate divided  the  vote  in  the  Second  district,  and  Jus- 
tin S.  Morrill  narrowly  escaped  defeat,  his  majority 
being  only  59.  George  W.  Grandey  of  Vergennes  was 
elected  Speaker,  receiving  171  votes,  while  50  were  cast 
for  Thomas  Bartlett,  Jr.  (Dem.).  A  few  members 
attempted  to  organize  a  distinctive  "Republican"  caucus, 
and  cast  23  votes  for  John  McLean  of  Cabot  for 
Speaker,  but  a  separate  party  organization  w-as  opposed 
by  George  F.  Edmunds  of  Burlington  and  others.  The 
United  States  Senate  vacancies  were  quickly  filled. 
Lawrence  Brainerd  of  St.  Albans  was  chosen  to  fill  the 
unexpired  portion  of  Senator  Upham's  term,  receiving 
26  of  the  29  votes  cast  in  the  Senate.  The  vote  in  the 
House  was,  Brainerd,  162;  Daniel  Kellogg  (Dem.),  49; 
O.  L.  Shaf  ter,  4;  scattering,  4.  For  the  full  term  of 
six  years  Jacob  Collamer  of  Woodstock  was  chosen,  in 
spite   of    some    "Republican"    opposition.     The    Senate 


RlSl^:  CJi"    Til  J-:   Rl{rUiiLlCAX    I'ARTV    4:u 

vote  was,  Collanicr,  19;  Oscar  L.  Shafter,  5;  I'orlus 
Baxter,  3;  Paul  Dillingham  (l)eni.),  2.  Collanier  was 
elected  in  the  House  on  the  third  hallot,  receiving  115 
votes.  Oscar  L.  Shafter  received  hi ;  Paul  Dillingham, 
44;  scattering,  7.  Judge  Collamer  announced  that  he 
was  utterly  opposed  to  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise and  favored  immediate  and  unconditional  re- 
peal of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  unless  modified  to  permit 
a  jury  trial  in  the  place  of  arrest. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  year  1854,  the  Orleans  County 
Gazette  said:  "The  Whig  press  generally  in  the  Free 
States — the  Silver  Gray  press  of  New  York,  Boston  and 
a  few  other  places  excepted — manifests  a  proper  con- 
sciousness of  the  fact  that  the  old  Whig  party  has 
passed  off  the  stage." 

Stephen  Royce,  elected  Governor  in  1854,  was  born  in 
Tinmouth,  Vt.,  August  12,  1787.  In  March,  1791,  his 
parents  removed  to  Franklin,  then  known  as  Huntsburg, 
and  two  years  later  they  established  a  home  in  Berkshire, 
being  numbered  among  the  earliest  settlers  in  that  town. 
There  were  no  schools  in  Berkshire  during  the  boyhood 
of  Stephen  Royce  and  much  of  his  early  training  was 
given  by  his  father  and  mother.  At  the  age  of  thirteen 
he  attended  school  at  Tinmouth,  and  later  at  Middlebury, 
entering  Middlebury  College  in  1803.  His  college 
course  was  interrupted  by  the  illness  of  his  father,  but 
he  was  able  to  graduate  with  his  class  in  1807.  It  is  re- 
lated that  he  purchased  his  college  text  books  with 
money  obtained  from  the  sale  of  furs,  w'hich  he  had 
secured  by  trapping,  carried  on  at  his  home  in  Berk- 
shire.    He  taught  school  in  Sheldon  and  studied  law  in 


432  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

the  office  of  an  uncle,  Ebenezer  Marvin,  Jr.  In  1809 
he  was  admitted  to  the  FrankHn  county  bar,  and  for 
two  years  practiced  law  at  Berkshire.  He  then  removed 
to  Sheldon,  where  he  remained  for  six  years,  removing 
in  1817  to  St.  Albans.  He  represented  Sheldon  in  the 
Legislature  in  1815  and  1816,  and  was  State's  Attorney 
of  Franklin  county  from  1816  to  1818.  He  represented 
St.  Albans  in  the  Legislature,  1822-24,  and  in  1822  was 
elected  delegate  to  a  Constitutional  Convention.  In 
1825  and  1826  he  was  elected  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  and  declining  a  reelection  he  returned  to  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  In  1829  he  was  elected  again  to 
the  Supreme  bench,  serving  continuously  until  1851. 
During  the  last  six  years  of  his  service  on  the  Supreme 
Court  bench  he  was  Chief  Judge.  He  ranked  among 
the  leading  lawyers  of  the  State  and  was  highly  esteemed 
as  a  Judge.  He  was  a  man  of  commanding  presence 
and  he  was  noted  for  his  courtesy.  He  served  two 
terms  as  Governor,  and  at  the  close  of  his  official  life  re- 
tired to  the  ancestral  home  at  Berkshire,  where  he  died 
November  11,  1865,  aged  seventy-eight  years. 

Lawrence  Brainerd,  elected  United  States  Senator  to 
succeed  William  LIpham,  deceased,  and  one  of  the  Anti- 
Slavery  leaders  of  Vermont,  was  born  at  East  Hart- 
ford, Conn.,  March  16,  1794.  When  only  fourteen 
years  old  he  emigrated  to  St.  Albans,  Vt.,  having  sold 
walnuts  to  secure  the  necessary  money  for  the  journey. 
He  arrived  at  St.  Albans  with  a  capital  of  seventy-five 
cents.  After  clerking  in  a  store  and  teaching  school,  he 
engaged  in  business  for  himself  in  1816,  and  became  a 
man  of  large  wealth  and  influence.     He  was  associated 


RISK  OI'^  TIIK   REPUBLICAN   PARTY    4:V,l 

with  Hon.  John  Smith  and  others  in  the  early  manage- 
ment of  the  Vermont  Central  Railroad.  In  1834  he 
represented  St.  Albans  in  the  Legislature.  He  was  one 
of  the  few  Vermonters  to  support  James  G.  Birney  as 
the  candidate  of  the  Liberty  party  for  President  in  1840. 
In  1846  and  1847  he  was  the  Anti-Slavery  candidate  for 
Governor.  He  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  the 
United  States  in  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party  as  a  national  organization.  In  1856  he  was  a 
Presidential  Elector  on  the  first  Republican  ticket.  He 
died  at  St.  Albans,  May  9,  1870,  aged  seventy-six  years. 
The  new  member  of  Vermont's  delegation  in  the 
House,  Justin  Smith  Morrill,  chosen  just  as  the  Whig 
party  was  passing  from  the  political  stage,  was  destined 
to  be  one  of  the  most  notable  figures  in  Vermont's  his- 
tory, and  one  of  the  most  useful  in  the  annals  of  the 
American  Congress.  Born  in  Strafiford,  Vt.,  April  14, 
1810,  son  of  Nathaniel  Morrill,  the  village  blacksmith, 
and  eldest  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  his  educational 
advantages  were  meagre,  consisting  of  a  few  terms  in 
the  district  school,  and  one  term  each  in  the  academies 
at  Randolph  and  Thetford.  He  was  ambitious  to  go  to 
college,  and  when  a  lad  he  asked  his  father  to  aid  him 
in  securing  such  an  education.  His  father  replied  that 
while  it  might  be  possible  to  send  him  to  college  it  was 
doubtful  if  any  of  his  younger  brothers  could  be  given  a 
similar  privilege,  and  asked  him  to  think  the  matter  over. 
Justin  decided  to  secure  a  position  as  clerk  and  to  edu- 
cate himself.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  entered  the  store 
of  Jedediah  H.  Harris  of  Strafiford,  a  prominent  citizen 
of  Orans^e  countv.     Here  he  w^orked  for  two  vears,  re- 


434  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

ceiving-  thirty  dollars  the  first  year  and  forty  dollars 
the  second  year.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  went  to 
Portland,  Me.,  where  an  uncle  resided.  Here  he  secured 
a  clerkship  with  a  merchant  in  the  West  India  trade,  but 
finding  little  opportunity  for  promotion,  he  left  this  posi- 
tion and  secured  another  in  one  of  Portland's  wholesale 
and  retail  dry  goods  houses,  gaining  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  business.  During  his  clerkship  he  utilized 
nearly  all  his  spare  time  in  reading.  He  subscribed  to  a 
circulating  library,  and  learned  Latin  by  the  light  of  the 
fireplace  after  the  long  day's  work  was  done.  He  read 
Blackstone's  Commentaries,  and  in  later  years  pursued 
a  course  of  reading  in  standard  and  classical  authors, 
which  gave  him  probably  a  better  all-round  education 
than  was  obtained  at  that  time  by  the  average  college 
graduate. 

In  October,  1830,  Justin  Morrill  returned  to  his  native 
town  to  visit  his  parents,  and  while  there  he  was  re- 
quested to  take  charge  of  the  sale  of  a  stock  of  goods  at 
South  Strafiford,  one  of  the  partners  having  died.  Judge 
Harris,  his  former  employer,  suggested  that  he  buy  the 
business,  offering  to  go  into  partnership  with  him. 
Morrill  had  saved  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
but  he  decided  to  purchase,  and  thus,  before  he  had 
reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he  was  established 
as  a  merchant.  The  business  prospered,  and  branch 
stores  were  established.  An  excellent  business  man, 
courteous  in  his  manners,  he  became  a  very  popular  mer- 
chant. Twice  each  year,  in  April  and  September,  he 
went  to  P)Oston  to  buy  goods,   which   were  transported 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    4^15 

lo  Strafford  in  large  freight  wagons,  and  on  every  trij) 
he  hougiit  books  for  his  library. 

In  184S,  having  reached  the  age  of  thirty-eight  years, 
he  decided  that  he  had  made  enough  money  to  enable 
him  to  retire  from  active  life  and  marry.     He  purchased 
a   tract   of   fifty   acres   abutting  on   the   village   street, 
studied    architecture    and    landscape    gardening,    drew 
plans  for  his  house  and  grounds  and  spent  three  years 
in  building.     During  a  part  of  this  time  he  was  inter- 
ested in  the  Orange  County  Bank  at  Chelsea.     In  1851 
he  married  Miss  Ruth  Swan,  a  Massachusetts  woman 
who  had  been  a  school  teacher.     Mr.   Morrill's  bank 
connections  brought  him  into  touch  with  business  men 
in   Boston   and   Xew   York.     He  became  interested  in 
politics  and  studied  political  economy  and  other  subjects 
that  enabled  him  to  gain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  public 
affairs.     While  in  Washington  in  1852,  having  attended 
the  Whig  National  Convention  at  Baltimore,  he  dined 
with  Daniel  Webster.     He  w^as  thoroughly  opposed  to 
slavery,  and  announced  his  position  in  a  statement  made 
in  reply  to  a  question  from  one  of  his  constituents.     Mr. 
Morrill,    therefore,    entered    upon    his    Congressional 
career,  remarkably  well  equipped  for  public  service. 

The  attempt  to  secure  a  preponderance  of  anti-slavery 
settlers  in  Kansas  resulted  in  the  holding  of  Kansas 
meetings  in  many  Northern  States,  including  X^ermont. 
and  the  recruiting  of  emigrants  from  this  State.  The 
newspapers  of  the  period  were  filled  with  discussions  of 
the  subject  of  slavery  in  the  Territories. 

The  Know  Nothing  party  was  successful  in  several 
Vermont  town  meetings  in  the  spring  of  1855.  including 


436  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Burlington  and  Montpelier.  The  party's  most  conspicu- 
ous success  was  the  election  of  members  of  the  Council 
of  Censors,  the  ticket  headed  by  John  W.  Vail,  receiv- 
ing 11,160  votes,  while  for  the  opposition  or  Independent 
ticket,  5,820  votes  were  cast.  Several  of  the  most  in- 
fluential newspapers  of  the  State  opposed  the  Know 
Nothing  movement  vigorously.  The  Council  of  Cen- 
sors elected  consisted  of  John  W.  Vail  of  Bennington, 
Evelyn  Pierpoint  of  Rutland,  James  M.  Slade  of  Middle- 
bury,  David  Fish  of  Jericho,  William  C.  Wilson  of 
Bakersfield,  William  W.  Wells  of  Waterbury,  Charles 
S.  Dana  of  St.  Johnsbury,  David  Hibbard,  3rd,  of  Con- 
cord, John  B.  Hutchinson  of  Randolph,  Thomas  F. 
Hammond  of  Windsor,  LaFayette  Ward  of  Westmin- 
ster, Thomas  Gleed  of  Morristown  and  Nathaniel  P. 
Nelson  of  Craftsbury.  The  Council  met  at  Montpelier 
on  June  6,  1855.  David  Hibbard  was  elected  president 
and  James  M.  Slade,  secretary.  Another  meeting  was 
held  in  October  and  proposed  to  amend  the  State  Con- 
stitution by  providing  for  biennial  instead  of  annual  ses- 
sions of  the  Legislature;  biennial  terms  for  State  and 
county  officers  and  Justices  of  the  Peace;  a  House  of 
Representatives  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
members,  each  county  being  entitled  to  two,  with  the  re- 
maining members  apportioned  according  to  population, 
permission  being  given  to  the  Legislature  to  divide  the 
State  into  Representative  districts,  but  no  towns  to  be 
divided;  a  Senate  consisting  of  two  members  from  each 
county,  elected  for  four-year  terms,  one-half  the  mem- 
bership to  be  elected  every  two  years;  Supreme  Court 
Judges  to  be  elected  for  terms  of  six  years,  one-third  of 


the  membership  to  be  elected  every  two  years;  all  elec- 
tions by  the  General  Assembly  to  be  by  viva  voce  vote 
rather  than  by  ballot;  State  officers  to  be  elected  by  a 
plurality  instead  of  a  majority  vote;  Secretary  of  State, 
Auditor  of  Accounts,  Bank  Commissioners  and  Regis- 
ters of  Probate  to  be  elected  by  popular  vote;  demand  of 
ten  members  required  to  secure  a  yea  and  nay  vote  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  except  upon  bills  vetoed  by 
the  Governor ;  a  Constitutional  Council  substituted  for  a 
Constitutional  Convention,  consisting  of  one  member 
from  each  county  chosen  once  in  ten  years;  if  a  Con- 
vention should  be  called  by  the  Council  it  should  consist 
of  ninety  delegates,  two  from  each  county,  and  the  re- 
maining members  apportioned  according  to  population. 
A  convention  to  consider  these  proposals  of  amendment 
was  called  for  the  first  Wednesday  of  January,  1857. 

There  was  great  opposition  to  the  proposals  of  amend- 
ment, particularly  to  the  features  that  deprived  each 
town  of  a  Representative  and  provided  for  a  Constitu- 
tional Convention  in  w^hich  each  town  Avas  not  repre- 
sented. The  Vermont  Watchman  declared  that  these 
proposals  of  amendment  amounted  to  a  sweeping  revolu- 
tion in  the  three  departments  of  government.  The 
Legislature  of  1856  adopted  resolutions  declaring  that 
the  framers  of  the  Constitution  did  not  intend  to  give 
and  did  not  give  the  Council  of  Censors  power  to  pre- 
scribe districts  which  should  elect  delegates  to  a  Consti- 
tutional Convention,  or  to  decrease  the  number  of  dele- 
gates. The  action  of  the  Council  of  Censors  w^as  held 
to  be  unconstitutional  and  the  convention  called  was 
urged  to  reject  the  amendments  proposed. 


438  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

On  January  7,  1857,  the  Constitutional  Convention 
assembled  at  Montpelier.  Loyal  C.  Kellogg  of  Benson 
was  elected  president,  and  D.  W.  C.  Clarke  of  Burling- 
ton, secretary.  Most  of  the  members  of  this  body  had 
been  elected  with  instructions  to  oppose  the  amend- 
ments. Resolutions  were  adopted,  declaring  that  the 
Council  of  Censors  had  "acted  unwisely  and  exceeded 
the  powers  devolved  upon  them  by  the  Constitution  as 
heretofore  practically  interpreted" ;  also  that  "the  prin- 
ciple of  town  representation  is  too  fully  indicated  to  be 
thus  invaded  or  assailed."  Therefore,  it  was  "Resolved, 
That  as  the  amendments  proposed  by  the  Council  will 
necessarily  fail  and  be  virtually  rejected  by  the  people 
unless  duly  confirmed — this  convention  sees  no  occa- 
sion to  take  any  further  action  relative  thereto."  This 
resolution  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  73  to  14.  In  later 
years  some  of  the  changes  proposed  were  made.  It  is 
not  improbable  that  the  strong  opposition  aroused  at  this 
time  was  due  in  part  to  the  fact  that  the  Council  of  Cen- 
sors was  elected  by  the  Know  Nothing  party,  against 
which  a  strong  prejudice  existed,  on  account  of  the 
secret  methods  employed  in  the  choice  of  candidates. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  a  call  was  issued  for  a  State 
Convention  of  freemen  "in  opposition  to  the  pro-slavery 
policy  of  the  present  national  administration  and  to  the 
propagandists  of  slavery  of  every  name  in  the  Union — 
for  the  defence  of  freedom  and  to  protect  the  rights  of 
the  Free  States."  This  call  was  signed  by  the  Whig 
State  Chairman  and  the  chairman  of  the  Montpelier 
Mass  Convention  of  1854.  The  convention  was  held 
at  Burlington.     The  ticket  of  the  previous  year,  headed 


RISK  U\'    TIIK   RlCl'inLlCAX    PARTY    439 

by  Governor  Royce,  was  nominated  and  the  platform  of 
1854  reaffirmed,  to  which  was  added  a  condemnation  of 
the  Kansas  outrages.  This  slogan  was  ado])tcd — "Xo 
slavery  outside  the  Slave  States — Slavery,  local ;  l^ree- 
dom,  National. "  The  Democrats  renominated  the 
ticket  of  the  j)revious  year,  with  Alerritt  Clark  of 
Poultney  for  Governor.  A  Know  Nothing  convention 
was  held  at  Burlington  on  July  11,  attended  by  four 
hundred  delegates.  The  name  American  party  of 
\''ermont  was  adopted,  and  anti-slavery  resolutions 
were  passed,  but  no  nominations  for  State  officers  were 
made.  A  State  Temperance  Convention  on  July  17 
nominated  William  R.  Shafter  of  Townshend  for  Gov- 
ernor, endorsing  the  Lieutenant  Governor  and  Treasurer 
then  in  office. 

In  July,  1855,  the  Vermont  Patriot  (Dem.)  declared: 
"The  Whig  party  of  Vermont  has  been  abandoned. 
There  is  no  Whig  State  ticket  in  the  field."  To  this  dec- 
laration the  vS"^  Johnsbiiry  Caledonian  replied:  "For 
the  Whig  party  of  Vermont  it  is  enough  for  the  present 
to  be  known  as  a  portion  of  the  Great  Northern  Anti- 
Slavery  party.  One  can  very  readily  tell  what  that 
means."  In  August,  1855,  the  Middlehury  Register 
placed  over  the  list  of  officers  carried  at  the  head  of  its 
editorial  page,  the  caption,  "Republican  State  Ticket." 
Before  the  end  of  the  month  the  Vermont  JVatcJiinan 
followed  suit,  but  the  Burlington  Free  Press  went 
through  the  campaign  with  no  distinctive  party  name 
over  this  same  list  of  candidates,  which  it  carried. 

A  so-called  Whig  State  Convention,  held  at  White 
River  Junction  in  August,  was  attended  by  a  mere  hand- 


440  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

ful  of  men.  Rev.  John  Wheeler  of  BurHngton,  former 
President  of  the  University  of  Vermont,  was  nominated 
for  Governor,  but  declined  the  nomination. 

Governor  Royce  was  reelected  by  a  large  majority,  re- 
ceiving 25,699  votes.  Merritt  Clark  (Dem.)  polled 
12,800  votes.  There  were  cast  for  William  R.  Shafter, 
the  Temperance  candidate,  1,308  votes,  and  James  M. 
Slade,  a  leader  of  the  Know  Nothing,  or  American  party, 
received  3,631  votes.  To  complete  the  total  there  should 
be  added  128  scattering  votes.  The  vote  for  Slade  was 
cast  chiefly  in  Caledonia,  Orange,  Windsor  and  Benning- 
ton counties,  and  by  far  the  largest  vote  for  Shafter 
was  given  in  Windsor  county.  The  Senate  consisted  of 
29  Republicans  and  1  Democrat.  The  House  was 
divided  politically  as  follows:  Republicans,  145  ;  Demo- 
crats, 33;  Americans,  21 ;  Whigs,  6;  Temperance  party, 
1. 

George  W.  Grandey  of  Vergennes  was  reelected 
Speaker.  In  his  annual  message  Governor  Royce 
recommended  that  the  policy  of  prohibiting  the  traffic  in 
intoxicating  liquors  should  be  continued,  and  referred  to 
the  aggressions  of  pro-slavery  men  in  Kansas.  The 
Legislature  authorized  the  appointment  of  a  Railroad 
Commissioner  by  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
whose  duty  it  should  be  to  examine  and  report  on  the 
pecuniary  condition  and  financial  management  of  the 
railroads  of  the  State.  The  commissioner's  salary  and 
expenses  were  assessed  on  the  railroad  companies  of  the 
State  according  to  an  apportionment  made  by  the  State 
Treasurer.  Minor  amendments  to  the  prohibitory  law 
were  adopted,  and  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  was 


RISK  Ul'    TllK   RKPUHIJCAN    I'ARTV    441 

appropriated  iur  a  niuiiiiinciu  to  be  erected  over  the  grave 
of  Ethan  Allen  at  iJiuiington.  The  repeal  of  the  Mis- 
souri Compromise  was  declared  "an  act  of  atrocity  un- 
equalled in  the  political  history  of  the  Nation,  and 
directly  subversive  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  re- 
publican government."  These  resolutions  were  adopted : 
"Resolved,  That  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  of  1850  is  a 
violation  of  the  Constitution,  an  insult  to  the  Free  States, 
an  outrage  on  the  rights  of  man  and  a  disgrace  to  the 
statutes  of  the  Nation;  and  the  people  of  Vermont  will 
indignantly  rebuke  any  Senator  or  Representative  of 
theirs  in  the  National  Congress  who  does  not  use  his  in- 
fluence to  bring  about  its  entire  repeal,  or  that  of  its 
odious  and  unjust  provisions. 

"Resolved,  That  the  slave  who  treads  the  soil  of  a 
Free  State  by  the  consent  of  his  master,  becomes  thereby 
and  at  once  forever  free,  and  entitled  to  the  exercise  of 
the  whole  power  of  the  State,  when  necessary,  in  the  de- 
fense of  his  freedom." 

At  the  opening  of  Congress  in  December,  1855,  Sena- 
tor Foot  was  assigned  to  the  Public  Lands  Committee 
and  Senator  Collamer  to  Post-Offices  and  Territories. 
The  long  strtiggle  to  elect  a  Speaker  of  the  National 
House  ended  early  in  February  with  the  choice  of 
Nathaniel  P.  Banks  of  Massachusetts.  Vermont  mem- 
bers were  assigned  as  follows:  Morrill,  Territories; 
Sabin,  Agriculture;  Meacham,  District  of  Columbia. 
The  Washington  Star,  in  approving  the  appointment  of 
Mr.  Meacham,  said  he  was  "the  scholar  of  the  House." 
On  January  26,  1856,  before  the  House  had  elected  a 
Speaker,  Mr.  Meacham  offered  a  resolution  declaring 


442  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

that  in  the  opinion  of  the  House  the  repeal  of  the  Mis- 
souri Compromise  was  an  example  of  useless  agitation 
of  the  slavery  question,  and  unwise  and  unjust  to  the 
American  people.  This  resolution  was  adopted  by  a 
vote  of  108  to  93,  which  was  considered  a  test  vote  in 
the  House. 

On  March  12,  1856,  Senator  Douglas  of  Illinois,  a 
native  of  Vermont,  standing  by  the  Secretary's  desk,  read 
the  majority  report  of  the  Committee  on  Territories  on 
affairs  in  Kansas,  a  document  which  occupied  two  hours 
in  the  reading.  Senator  Collamer  followed  him,  stand- 
ing in  the  same  place,  and  reading  the  minority  report, 
the  Vermont  Senator  constituting  the  minority.  This 
report  ended  with  the  declaration  that,  "Justice  may  be 
denied  where  it  ought  to  be  granted;  power  may  per- 
petuate that  vassalage  which  violence  and  usurpation 
have  produced;  the  subjugation  of  white  freemen  may 
be  necessary  that  African  slavery  may  succeed ;  but  such 
a  course  must  not  be  expected  to  produce  peace  and  satis- 
faction in  our  country  so  long  as  the  people  retain  any 
proper  sentiment  of  Justice,  Liberty  and  Law."  As 
Senator  Collamer  concluded  the  reading  of  the  minority 
report.  Senator  Sumner  of  Massachusetts  observed  that 
"in  those  two  reports  the  whole  subject  is  presented 
characteristically  on  both  sides.  In  the  report  of  the 
majority  the  true  issue  is  smothered;  in  that  of  the 
minority  the  true  issue  stands  forth  as  a  pillar  of  fire  to 
guide  the  country.  The  first  report  proceeds  from  four 
Senators ;  but  against  it  I  put  fearlessly  the  report  signed 
by  a  single  Senator — Mr.  Collamer,  to  whom  I  offer  my 
thanks  for  this  service."     On  March  20,  Douglas  ad- 


RISK  i)l"'   TllJ-:   RKPUBLiCAX    iVVRTY    WS 

dressed  the  Senate  in  support  of  the  majority  report  on 
Kansas.  Judge  Collanier's  reply  was  necessarily  de- 
ferred on  account  ol  ill  health,  but  on  April  3  and  4  he 
delivered  a  masterly  argument.  The  Ncz^,'  York  Uve- 
niiig  Post,  a  Democratic  newspaper  with  Free  Soil  sym- 
pathies, said  that  Judge  Coilamer's  speech  "was  an  un- 
answerable and  complete  refutation  of  the  strange  fal- 
lacies employed  by  Mr.  Douglas  in  his  majority  report 
to  justify  the  principles  of  the  Nebraska  bill  and  the 
policy  of  the  Administration  in  reference  to  the  people 
of  Kansas." 

Vermont's  anti-slavery  laws  and  resolutions  irritated 
the  Southern  States  exceedingly,  a  knowledge  of  which 
did  not  in  any  wise  deter  the  Green  Mountain  lawmak- 
ers from  expressing  their  opinions  freely  and  fully.  In 
a  message  to  the  Virginia  Legislature,  Governor  Wise, 
referring  to  one  of  the  Vermont  resolutions  on  slavery, 
said:  "We  cannot  reason  with  the  heads  of  fanatics, 
nor  touch  hearts  fatally  bent  upon  treason."  Copies  of 
Vermont  resolutions  relating  to  Kansas  sent  to  the 
executives  of  the  various  States,  called  forth  a  long  mes- 
sage to  the  Georgia  Legislature  from  Gov.  Herschel  V. 
Johnson,  in  which  he  characterized  the  resolutions  as 
insulting.  The  Vermont  resolutions  are  said  to  have 
caused  "much  high  feeling  and  indignation  in  the 
House."  One  member  offered  a  resolution  directing  the' 
Governor  to  transmit  to  the  Governor  of  Vermont,  with 
a  request  to  lay  the  same  before  the  State  Legislature, 
the  Georgia  resolutions  of  1850,  declaring  that  the  State 
would  resist  acts  of  aggression  therein  enumerated, 
"even  (as  a  last  resort)  to  the  disruption  of  every  tie 


444  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

that  binds  her  to  the  Union" ;  and  enclose  the  same  in  a 
leaden  bullet.  Other  members  suggested  that  powder 
and  a  coil  of  rope  should  be  included.  The  following 
resolutions  were  offered: 

"Resolved,  By  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of 
Georgia,  That  His  Excellency  the  Governor  be  and  is 
hereby  requested  to  transmit  the  Vermont  resolutions  to 
the  deep,  dank  and  fetid  sink  of  social  and  political  in- 
iquity from  whence  they  emanated,  with  the  following 
unequivocal  declaration  inscribed  thereon: 

"Resolved,  That  Georgia,  standing  on  her  constitu- 
tional palladium,  heeds  not  the  maniac  ravings  of  hell- 
born  fanaticism,  nor  stoops  from  her  lofty  position  to 
hold  terms  with  perjured  traitors." 

In  the  Georgia  Senate  this  resolution  was  offered: 
"Resolved,  That  His  Excellency,  President  I^ierce,  be  re- 
quested to  employ  a  sufficient  number  of  able-bodied 
Irishmen  to  proceed  to  the  State  of  Vermont,  and  to  dig 
a  ditch  around  the  limits  of  the  same,  and  to  float  'the 
thing'  into  the  Atlantic." 

The  Vermont  resolutions  on  Kansas  were  transmitted 
by  the  Governor  of  Alabama  to  the  Legislature  of  that 
State  and  were  referred  to  a  special  committee,  which  re- 
ported as  follows:  "Resolved,  That  the  Governor  be 
requested  to  place  in  the  hands  of  his  Negro  boy  Russell 
the  resolutions  received  from  the  Governor  of  Vermont 
as  relates  to  his  message  on  Kansas,  and  that  the  Negro 
boy  Russell  be  instructed  to  return  them  with  his  utter 
contempt  of  the  course  pursued  by  the  Vermont  Legisla- 
ture, and  that  he,  the  said  Negro  boy,  will  not  condescend 
to  notice  Vermont  or  its  Governor  any  more,  on  the 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    445 

ground  that  the  X'crinuiit  Legislature  has  made  him 
equal,  if  nut  superior,  lo  the  white  men  of  that  State." 

Vermont  took  an  active  interest  in  Kansas  affairs  in 
1856.  At  a  meeting  held  at  Randolph  on  February  9, 
the  sum  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  was  subscribed 
to  provision  and  arm  the  Free  State  citizens  of  the  Ter- 
ritory for  defence.  It  was  announced  that  eight  young 
men  from  Randolph  had  settled  in  Kansas.  The  news- 
papers mention  the  holding  of  Kansas  meetings  at  Brat- 
tleboro,  Putney,  Dummerston,  Poultney,  Montpelier, 
Northfield,  Waitsfield,  Stowe,  Bristol  and  St.  Albans. 
Rev.  B.  B.  Newton  of  St.  Albans  was  appointed  agent 
to  form  a  Vermont  company  to  settle  in  Kansas,  and  a 
company  of  ten  started  for  the  West  on  August  20.  The 
Republican  Central  Committee  appointed  a  committee  to 
solicit  aid  for  the  friends  of  freedom  in  Kansas.  Three 
Vermonters  were  numbered  among  one  hundred  and  five 
persons  arrested  in  that  Territory  on  a  charge  of  murder 
for  resisting  the  pro-slavery  men,  otherwise  known  as 
Border  Ruffians. 

The  Vermont  colony  that  emigrated  to  Kansas  in  the 
spring  of  1857,  located  on  the  Little  Osage  River,  about 
sixteen  miles  from  the  Missouri  line.  The  town  was 
named  Mapleton,  in  memory  of  the  maple  trees  of 
Vermont. 

The  American  or  Know  Nothing  movement,  which 
spread  rapidly  throughout  the  country  for  a  short  time, 
was  checked  by  a  split  in  the  party  on  the  slavery  ques- 
tion. A  meeting  of  the  National  Council  of  the  party, 
held  at  Philadelphia  on  June  5,  1855,  was  attended  by 
six  Vermont  delegates,  Ryland  Fletcher,  Evelyn  Pier- 


446  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

point,  Horace  Kingsley,  Joseph  H.  Barrett,  J.  D.  Hatch 
and  R.  M.  Guilford.  The  platform  was  of  such  a  nature 
that  the  anti-slavery  delegates,  including  those  from 
Vermont,  protested  and  withdrew.  Vermont's  delegates 
attended  a  convention  of  Northern  Americans,  held  at 
Cincinnati,  November  25,  1855,  E.  Mattocks  being  the 
Vermont  member  of  the  National  Council.  Vermont 
was  not  represented  at  the  American  National  Conven- 
tion, held  at  Philadelphia,  February  22,  1856,  which 
nominated  Millard  Fillmore  and  Andrew  J.  Donelson  as 
its  national  ticket;  nor  at  the  convention  of  the  anti- 
slavery  faction  which  nominated  as  its  ticket  John  C. 
Fremont  and  William  F.  Johnston.  J.  M.  Slade  was 
appointed  Vermont  member  of  the  executive  committee 
of  the  Northern  faction.  The  American  party  in  Ver- 
mont nominated  Ryland  Fletcher  of  Cavendish  for  Gov- 
ernor and  condemned  the  assault  upon  Charles  Sumner 
on  the  floor  of  the  Senate  Chamber  in  Washington. 

An  informal  National  Convention  of  the  new  Repub- 
lican party  was  called  at  Pittsburg,  February  22,  1856, 
to  perfect  a  national  organization.  The  call  was  signed 
by  A.  P.  Stone  of  Ohio,  David  Wilmot  of  Pennsylvania, 
J.  Z.  Goodrich  of  Massachusetts,  Lawrence  Brainerd  of 
Vermont  and  William  A.  White  of  Wisconsin,  chairmen 
of  the  Republican  committees  of  the  States  named.  The 
Vermont  delegates  to  this  preliminary  convention  were 
Lawrence  Brainerd  of  St.  Albans,  Bliss  N.  Davis  of 
Danville,  Rolla  Gleason  of  Richmond,  David  S.  Church 
of  Middlebury,  H.  G.  Root  of  Bennington,  James  S. 
Moore  of  Strafl"ord,  John   Porter  of  Quechee,   Portus 


RISJ^  OF  THE  RErUBLICAX    TARTY    447 

Baxter  of  Derby,  J.   M.    llutchkiss  of   Water ville  and 
W.  1).  Marsh  of  Clarendon. 

The  first  RepubHcan  National  Convention  was  called 
to  order  by  Lawrence  Brainerd  of  Vermont.  Vermont's 
delegates  to  the  Republican  National  Convention,  held 
at  Philadelphia,  June  17,  1856,  to  nominate  a  national 
ticket,  were  Hiland  Hall  of  Bennington,  chairman, 
Heman  Carpenter  of  Northfield,  Erastus  Fairbanks  of 
St.  Johnsbury,  William  Skinner  of  Royalton,  Lawrence 
Brainerd  of  St.  Albans,  Levi  Underwood  of  Burlington, 
D.  E.  Nicholson  of  Wallingford,  E.  D.  Warner  of  New 
Haven,  H.  K.  Slayton  of  Calais,  Edward  Kirkland  of 
Brattleboro,  Ryland  Fletcher  of  Cavendish,  William  F. 
Dickinson  of  Chelsea,  Rolla  Gleason  of  Richmond, 
H.  H.  Reynolds  of  Alburg  and  William  L.  Sowles  of 
S wanton.  Heman  Carpenter  was  chosen  vice  president 
for  X'ermont  and  Levi  Underwood,  secretary.  All  of 
Vermont's  votes  were  cast  for  John  C.  Fremont  for 
President.  On  an  informal  ballot  for  a  candidate  for 
Vice  President  the  fifteen  votes  from  this  State  were 
cast  for  Jacob  Collamer  of  Vermont.  On  the  formal 
ballot  Vermont  voted  for  William  L.  Dayton  of  New 
Jersey.  Mr.  Carpenter  of  the  Vermont  delegation  was 
one  of  the  orators  who  addressed  the  convention. 

The  call  issued  for  a  State  Convention  at  White 
River  Junction  did  not  take  the  Republican  name,  but 
appealed  to  all  opposed  to  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri 
Compromise,  the  policy  of  the  Pierce  administration,  the 
extension  of  slavery  into  the  Territories,  and  in  favor  of 
the  admission  of  Kansas  as  a  Free  State.  Ryland 
Fletcher  of  Cavendish  was  nominated  for  Governor  and 


448  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

James  M.  Slade  of  Midcllebury,  for  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor. Both  men  had  been  affiliated  with  the  Know 
Nothing-  movement.  For  Electors-at-large  two  well 
known  men  were  named,  William  C.  Bradley  of  West- 
minster and  Lawrence  Brainerd  of  St.  Albans. 

The  delegates  to  the  Democratic  National  Convention, 
held  at  Cincinnati,  June  2,  were  David  A.  Smalley  of 
Burlington,  chairman,  Jefferson  P.  Kidder  of  Randolph, 
Charles  G.  Eastman  of  Montpelier,  Bradley  Barlow  of 
Fairfield,  Robert  Harvey  of  Barnet,  Tappan  Stevens 
of  Newbury,  John  Cain  of  Rutland,  Lyman  P.  White  of 
Whiting,  L  B.  Bowdish  of  Swanton  and  P.  S.  Benjamin 
of  Wolcott.  Mr.  Kidder  was  the  vice  president  for  Ver- 
mont. Henry  Keyes  of  Newbury  was  nominated  for 
Governor. 

A  remnant  of  the  old  Whig  party,  some  sixty  or 
seventy  persons,  assembled  at  Burlington,  September  12, 
1856,  in  State  Convention,  Rev.  John  Wheeler  presiding. 
The  following  delegates  were  elected  to  attend  a  National 
Convention  at  Baltimore,  September  17:  R.  McK. 
Ormsby  of  Bradford,  Isaac  T.  Wright  of  Castleton, 
H.  S.  Hard  of  Bennington,  Carlos  Coolidge  of  Windsor 
and  A.  S.  Hyde  of  St.  Albans.  Erastus  Brooks  of  New 
York  made  a  speech  in  the  interest  of  the  candidacy  of 
Ex-President  Millard  Fillmore.  Ex-Governor  Coolidge 
declined  to  serve  as  a  delegate.  At  a  Whig  (Fillmore) 
State  Convention  held  at  Montpelier,  October  8,  attended 
by  about  tw^enty  persons,  an  Electoral  ticket  was  nomi- 
nated. At  a  Radical  Abolitionist  convention  held  in 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  May  28,  Gerritt  Smith  was  nominated 
for  President.     John  R.  Forest  of  Winooski  was  nomi- 


RISK  OF  THE   REPUBLICAN   PARTY    449 

nated  to  organize  Vermont,  and  an  electoral  ticket  was 
nominated,  headed  by  a  colored  man,  S.  Sankee  of  Bur- 
ling-ton. 

Congressman  James  Meacham  died  at  his  home  in 
Middlebury  on  August  23,  aged  forty-six  years.  His 
death  was  a  loss  not  only  to  Vermont  but  to  the  Nation. 
He  ranked  among  the  able  members  of  Congress,  and  his 
name  had  been  considered  in  connection  with  the  Speak- 
ership of  the  House.  He  was  one  of  the  Regents  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  and  was  noted  for  his  scholarly 
accomplishments.  As  chairman  of  the  District  of 
Columbia  Committee  he  held  a  responsible  position  in  the 
affairs  of  the  city  of  Washington.  The  Vcnuout 
ll'afchinaii  said  he  was  one  of  those  ''who  counseled  the 
politicians  in  1854  in  that  first  declaration  of  principles 
which  has  now  become  essentially  the  platform  of  the 
Republican  party  of  the  Nation."  Mr.  Meacham  had 
been  renominated  for  another  term  in  Congress  and  the 
lime  was  short  in  which  to  name  a  successor.  A  second 
convention  was  called,  which  nominated  George  T. 
Hodges  of  Rutland  to  fill  Mr.  Meacham's  unexpired 
term,  and  E.  P.  Walton  of  Montpelier,  editor  of  the 
Vermont  Watchman,  for  the  term  beginning  in  March, 
1857. 

The  election  resulted  in  a  victory  for  the  Republican 
candidate.  The  official  vote  for  Governor  was,  Fletcher 
(Rep.),  34,052;  Keyes  (Dem.),  11,661;  scattering,  270. 
The  Democrats  elected  a  mere  handful  of  members  to 
the  Legislature,  only  sixteen  votes  being  cast  for  the 
party  candidate  for  Speaker.  Walton  was  elected  to 
Congress  by  a  majority  of  6,132  in  the  First  district  and 


450  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Hodges,  for  the  short  term,  had  a  majority  of  8,447. 
Morrill's  majority  in  the  Second  district  was  9,308  and 
Homer  E.  Royce  in  the  Third  district,  was  chosen  by  a 
majority  of  5,960.  Solomon  Foot  was  reelected  United 
States  Senator  by  the  Legislature.  The  vote  in  the  Senate 
was  as  follows:  Foot,  16;  Daniel  Roberts,  4;  Lawrence 
Brainerd,  4;  Hiland  Hall,  3;  John  Pierpoint,  1 ;  William 
C.  Bradley,  1 ;  George  P.  Marsh,  L  The  vote  in  the 
House  was,  Foot,  143 ;  Daniel  Roberts,  33 ;  Lawrence 
Brainerd,  28;  Benjamin  H.  Smalley  (Dem.),  17;  scat- 
tering, 6. 

Fremont's  majority  was  28,374  and  he  carried  every 
county  by  a  large  majority.  The  total  vote,  50,748,  was 
the  largest  cast  since  the  campaign  of  1840.  Fillmore's 
vote  was  not  large  enough  to  affect  the  result  and  Gerritt 
Smith  hardly  received  votes  enough  to  be  dignified  by 
the  caption,  scattering.  The  new  Republican  party  was 
stronger  in  Vermont  than  the  Whig  party  ever  had 
been,  as  it  contained  many  men  formerly  Anti-Slavery 
Democrats.  The  Presidential  vote  by  counties  was  as 
follows : 


Fremont 

Addison 3,362 

Bennington   ....  2,120 

Caledonia    2,540 

Chittenden 2,844 

Essex 622 

Franklin    2,454 

Grand  Isle 405 


Suiith  & 

Fill- 

scatter- 

Buchauaii 

iiinrc 

ing 

334 

68 

,  , 

785 

70 

1,061 

23 

1 

688 

73 

12 

274 

4 

,  . 

870 

65 

92 

9 

JOHN  GREGORY  SMITH 

Born  in  St.  Albans,  July  22,  1818,  and  graduated  from  the 
University  of  \'ermont  in  1841.  He  served  in  both  branches 
of  the  State  Legislature  and  was  elected  Speaker  in  1862. 
In  1863  he  was  elected  Governor,  serving  two  years  during 
a  critical  period  of  the  Civil  War.  For  many  years  he  was 
president  of  the  Central  Vermont  Railroad  and  deserves  to 
be  ranked  among  the  great  transportation  managers  of  his 
generation.  Ihe  building  of  the  Canada  Atlantic  Railway 
was  his  plan.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  and  its  first  president.  He  died  November 
6,  1 891. 


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Kisi-:  (W  rwK  Ri<:i'i"r.LicA\  tartn'    \:>] 

Lamoille    1.607              402  13  2 

Orange 3.207  1,364  61  12 

Orleans    2.007              494  6  2 

Rutland   4.798              831  .^S  10 

W'ashini^ton    ...  3,821  1.359  5  12 

Windham    4.0()S              742  47  9 

Windsor    5,706  1.273  66  3 


Total    . .  .     39,561         10,577         545  65 

Vermont's  Presidential  Electors,  the  first  chosen  by 
the  new  Republican  party,  were  William  C.  Bradley 
of  Westminster,  Lawrence  Brainerd  of  St.  Albans, 
George  W.  Strong  of  Rutland,  John  Porter  of  Hartford 
and  Portus  Baxter  of  Derby. 

Ryland  Fletcher  has  been  called  the  first  Republican 
Governor  of  Vermont,  but  a  better  case  can  be  made  for 
his  predecessor.  Stephen  Royce.  Governor  Royce,  first 
nominated  as  a  Whig  in  1854,  became  the  nominee  of  the 
elements  combined  in  opposition  to  the  policy  of  slavery 
in  the  Territories,  but  his  renomination.  in  1855,  may 
fairly  be  called  the  work  of  the  Republican  party,  even 
though  the  name  was  not  used  in  the  convention  call. 

Ryland  Fletcher  was  born  in  Cavendish,  February  18, 
1799.  PTe  was  able  to  secure  only  a  common  school 
education.  He  worked  on  his  father's  farm,  teaching 
a  district  school  in  the  winter.  When  only  eighteen 
years  old  he  joined  a  militia  company,  and  was  pro- 
moted, step  by  step,  until  he  reached  the  rank  of  Briga- 
dier General.  He  emigrated  to  the  West  but  did  not 
remain  there  long.  He  was  an  active  anti-slavery  man, 
and  became  a  leader  in  this  cause  in  Vermont.     He  was 


452  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

elected  Lieutenant  Governor  in  1854  and  1855,  served 
two  terms  as  Governor,  represented  Cavendish  in  the 
Legislature  in  1861  and  1862,  was  Presidential  Elector 
in  1864  and  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention 
of  1870.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Cavendish,  December 
19,   1885. 

Three  new  Congressmen  were  elected  in  1856. 
George  T.  Hodges  was  born  in  Clarendon,  July  4,  1789. 
After  attending  the  common  schools  he  engaged  in  busi- 
ness, and  he  was  active  in  the  building  of  the  Rutland 
Railroad.  He  was  president  of  the  Bank  of  Rutland 
for  more  than  twenty-five  years.  He  represented  Rut- 
land in  the  Legislature  from  1827  to  1829,  and  again  in 
1839  and  1840.  Pie  was  a  Senator  from  Rutland 
county,  1845-47,  and  was  President  Pro  Tem,  1846-47. 
In  1848  he  was  a  Presidential  Elector.  His  Congres- 
sional service  was  limited  to  the  unexpired  term  of 
James  Meacham.     He  died  at  Rutland,  August  9,  1860. 

Eliakim  P.  Walton  was  born  in  Montpelier,  February 
17,  1812,  being  the  eldest  son  of  Gen.  Ezekiel  P.  Walton. 
He  fitted  for  college  at  the  Washington  County  Gram- 
mar School  but  did  not  attend  any  institution  of  higher 
education.  He  entered  the  law  office  of  Senator  Samuel 
Prentiss  but  most  of  his  education  was  obtained  in  his 
father's  printing  office.  In  1833  he  became  a  partner 
with  his  father  in  the  publication  of  the  Vcrinont 
Watchinan  and  for  thirty-five  years  he  was  engaged  in 
active  newspaper  work.  In  any  adequate  list  of  \^er- 
mont  journalists  Mr.  Walton's  name  would  be  included 
as  one  of  the  most  influential  men  of  his  profession  in 
the  historv  of  the  State.     Few  Vermont  editors  have 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    453 

wielded  greater  jx)\ver  than  did  Mr.  Walton.  An 
ardent  Whig,  he  was  one  of  the  first  among  the  leading 
men  of  Vermont  to  perceive  that  a  new  party  must  be 
organized  to  carry  on  the  fight  against  slavery,  and 
he  was  one  of  the  most  active  leaders  in  organizing  the 
Republican  party  in  Vermont.  He  represented  Mont- 
pelier  in  the  Legislature  in  1853  and  was  elected  one  of 
the  Washington  county  Senators  in  1874  and  1876.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  in  1870. 
His  Congressional  career  covered  a  period  of  six  years. 
He  published  Walton's  Vermont  Register  for  many 
years,  and  also  edited  the  eight  volumes  of  "Governor 
and  Council,"  one  of  the  most  valuable  of  the  historical 
publications  of  the  State.  He  was  president  of  the  Ver- 
mont Historical  Society  for  several  years  and  presi- 
dent of  the  Publishers'  and  Editors'  Association  of  Ver- 
mont from  its  organization  until  1881.  The  University 
of  Vermont  and  Middlebury  College  conferred  upon 
him  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  He  died 
at  his  home  in   Montpelier,   December   19,    1890. 

Homer  E.  Royce  was  born  at  East  Berkshire,  June 
14,  1819.  He  attended  the  academies  at  St.  Albans  and 
Enosburg,  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  He 
began  the  practice  of  law^  at  Berkshire,  in  1842,  but  re- 
moved to  St.  Albans  in  1870.  He  represented  Berk- 
shire in  the  Legislature  in  1846  and  1847,  and  again 
in  1862.  He  was  one  of  the  Franklin  county  Senators 
in  1849,  1850  and  1869.  He  was  State's  Attorney  from 
1846  to  1848  and  a  member  of  the  Supreme  Court  from 
1870  to  1890,  serving  as  Chief  Judge  from  1882  to  1890. 
He  was  given  two  terms  in  Congress.     The  University 


454  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

of  Vermont  conferred  upon  him  the  degrees  of  Master 
of  Arts  and  Doctor  of  Laws.  He  died  at  St.  Albans, 
April  24,  1891. 

In  his  message  to  the  Legislature,  Governor  Fletcher 
expressed  the  belief  that  the  principle  of  prohibition 
was  in  perfect  accordance  with  the  Constitution  and  in 
harmony  with  the  obligations  which  the  government 
ow^ed  the  people.  He  protested  against  the  evils  of 
slavery  and  compared  the  hardships  sufifered  by  the  Free 
State  settlers  in  Kansas  with  those  endured  by  the  Ver- 
mont pioneers.  "I  earnestly  suggest  to  your  careful 
deliberation,"  said  he,  "the  question  whether  in  view  of 
the  great  wrongs  to  which  our  citizens  in  Kansas  are 
subjected,  and  the  utter  neglect  of  the  General  Govern- 
ment to  protect  them,  some  action  is  not  required  of  you 
equal  to  the  importance  and  emergency  of  their  cause." 

Among  the  important  laws,  enacted  in  1856,  was 
an  act  establishing  a  Board  of  Education,  of  three  mem- 
bers, which  should  appoint  a  secretary,  hold  county  insti- 
tutes and  recommend  to  the  Legislature  alterations,  re- 
visions or  amendments  of  the  existing  school  laws.  A 
new  militia  law  w^as  passed,  which  provided  that  each 
member  of  a  company,  uniformed  and  equipped,  might 
draw  three  dollars  annually  from  the  State  for  his  serv- 
ices. The  sum  of  twenty  thousand  dollars  was  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Governor  to  be  used,  if  necessary, 
"for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  food  and  clothing  to  such 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Kansas  as  may  be  in  a  suffering 
condition  for  the  want  thereof."  This  appropriation 
caused  much  comment  throughout  the  United  States. 
The  Richmond  Enquirer  said:     "Always   foremost   in 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    455 

the  path  of  infamy,  X'ermont  has  taken  a  step  from 
which  its  more  considerate  sisters  of  New  England 
shrank  in  prudent  apprehensiojis  of  possible  conse- 
quences." It  spoke  of  the  emigrants  as  "vagalx)nds  and 
paupers — the  refuse  of  the  redundant  population  of  New 
England."  Representing  a  dififerent  point  of  view, 
Senator  Seward  wrote:  "I  honor,  thank  and  reverence 
the  State  of  Vermont  for  her  beneficent  gift  to  the 
oppressed  and  abused  people  of  Kansas.  It  shows  that 
the  wrongs  of  the  people  have  awakened  the  sympathies 
of  the  lovers  of  freedom  in  our  country;  and  I  doubt 
not  that  the  blessed  example  will  be  followed  by  the 
other  States  whose  institutions  are  founded  on  the  rights 
of  men." 

After  corresponding  with  acquaintances  in  Kansas  as 
well  as  w^ith  officials  of  the  Territory,  Governor  Fletcher 
learned  that  Vermont's  appropriation  was  not  needed, 
and  the  money  was  not  used.  The  act  was  repealed  the 
following  year.  The  Vermont  Watchman  asserted  that 
this  appropriation  "checked  the  Border  Ruffians  in  their 
attempt  to  starve  out  the  Free  State  men." 

The  Legislature  commended  Vermont's  Senators  and 
Representatives  in  Congress  "for  their  earnest  opposition 
to  the  extension  of  slavery,"  and  they  were  thanked 
"for  their  faithfulness  to  the  cause  of  freedom."  Sym- 
pathy was  extended  to  Senator  Sumner,  who  was  suffer- 
ing from  an  assault  committed  by  Preston  S.  Brooks, 
a  Southern  Congressman.  The  attack  was  condemned 
in  vigorous  terms  and  the  declaration  was  made  that 
"Vermont  will  stand  finally  and  forever  for  the  liberty 
of   debate   and   the   inviolability   of   legislative   halls." 


456  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Vermont  members  were  assured  that  the  State  would 
stand  by  them  "in  every  needful  emergency  for  the  vindi- 
cation of  their  rights,  the  rights  of  the  State  and  the 
preservation  of  order,  liberty  and  law."  Charles  Sum- 
ner's speech  on  Kansas  was  also  approved. 

Justin  S.  Morrill's  first  speech  in  Congress,  delivered 
June  28,  1856,  was  in  opposition  to  the  admission  of 
Kansas  as  a  State  with  a  pro-slavery  Constitution.  At 
the  suggestion  of  Galusha  A.  Grow  of  Pennsylvania  (a 
descendant  and  namesake  of  Governor  Galusha  of  Ver- 
mont) Speaker  Orr  placed  Mr.  Morrill  on  the  Ways 
and  Means  Committee,  at  the  beginning  of  his  second 
term.  The  Vermont  member  gained  much  prominence 
as  a  result  of  his  opposition  to  the  tariff  bill  of  1857, 
which  he  believed  did  not  give  agriculture  sufficient  pro- 
tection. A  little  later,  through  his  efforts,  the  first  bill 
designed  to  suppress  polygamy  in  Utah  was  passed  in 
the  House. 

On  December  9,  1856,  Senator  Collamer  made  a 
powerful  speech  on  Government  control  of  slavery  in  the 
Territories,  closing  with  a  fancied  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence to  be  made  by  citizens  of  the  Slave  States  in 
the  event  that  the  South  seceded  from  the  Union.  Judge 
James  Barrett  said  of  this  "Declaration"  that  it  was 
"eminently  Hogarthian  in  the  quality  of  its  satire." 

David  A.  Smalley  of  Burlington  was  appointed  United 
States  District  Judge  to  succeed  Samuel  Prentiss,  de- 
ceased. Others  considered  for  the  position  were  Chief 
Judge  Isaac  F.  Redfield  of  Derby,  District  Attorney 
Lucius  B.  Peck  of  Montpelier,  Charles  Linsley  of  Rut- 
land and  B.  H.  Smalley  of  St.  Albans. 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    457 

The  interior  of  the  State  House  was  destroyed  by  fire 
on  Tuesday,  January  6,  1857.  The  weather  had  been 
intensely  cold,  and  the  furnaces  had  been  in  operation 
for  two  days  to  heat  Representatives'  Hall  for  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Constitutional  Convention.  The  floor  and 
timbers  above  one  furnace  became  over-heated  and 
caught  fire.  A  gale  was  blowing  and  the  whole  struc- 
ture was  soon  in  flames.  The  wood-work  was  destroyed 
but  the  walls  remained  standing.  Most  of  the  books  in 
the  Library,  and  the  portrait  of  George  Washington 
were  saved,  but  the  mineralogical  collection  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  papers  belonging  to  Henry  Stevens 
were  destroyed. 

In  order  that  the  matter  of  rebuilding  might  not  com- 
plicate the  regular  business  of  legislation,  Governor 
Fletcher  called  the  Legislature  in  special  session  at  Mont- 
pelier  on  February  18.  The  Senate  met  in  the  Wash- 
ington County  Court  House  and  the  sessions  of  the 
House  were  held  in  one  of  the  local  churches.  With 
the  opening  of  the  session  there  began  a  contest  for  the 
location  of  the  capital.  A  joint  resolution,  introduced 
in  the  House,  provided  for  the  removal  of  the  seat  of 
government  to  Burlington.  A  Senate  resolution  called 
for  the  repair  of  the  State  House.  It  was  announced 
that  Burlington  was  ready  to  furnish  as  good  ground, 
foundation  and  building  as  those  at  Montpelier  and  to 
present  them  to  the  State.  Several  towns  aspired  to 
the  honor  of  becoming  the  capital,  but  the  principal  con- 
testants were  Rutland,  Montpelier  and  Burlington.  The 
House  went  into  committee  of  the  whole  to  hear  argu- 
ments in  favor  of  these  towns.     Robert  Pierpoint  pre- 


458  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

sented  the  claims  of  Rutland,  Paul  Dillingham  appeared 
for  Montpelier  and  George  F.  Edmunds  argued  in  favor 
of  Burlington.  Two  informal  ballots  were  taken  on 
February  20,  the  result  of  the  second  ballot  being  as 
follows :  Montpelier,  102 ;  Burlington,  81 ;  Rutland,  21 ; 
Bellows  Falls,  10;  Middlebury,  2;  Castleton,  2;  Ran- 
dolph, 1;  Northfield,  1;  Bradford,  1.  A  formal  vote 
was  taken  in  the  House  on  the  location  of  the  capital  on 
February  26,  with  the  following  result:  Montpelier, 
116;  Burlington,  67;  Rutland,  35;  Bellows  Falls,  8;  Mid- 
dlebury, 1;  Northfield,  1.  The  vote  in  the  Senate  was 
as  follows:  Montpelier,  13;  Burlington,  11;  Rutland, 
4;  Middlebury,  1. 

The  attempt  to  remove  the  capital  having  been  de- 
feated, a  bill  to  repair  the  State  House  was  taken  up, 
and  the  sum  of  forty  thousand  dollars  was  appropriated 
for  repairs,  improvements  and  necessary  furnishings, 
provided  the  inhabitants  of  Montpelier,  or  individual 
citizens,  should  give  good  security  to  pay  a  sum  equal  to 
the  whole  cost  of  the  work.  On  February  27,  the  day 
of  adjournment,  a  bond  was  executed  by  Elisha  P. 
Jewett,  George  W.  Collamer  and  Erastus  Hubbard,  in 
the  penal  sum  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Gov- 
ernor Fletcher  appointed  as  building  commissioners, 
George  P.  Marsh  of  Burlington,  Norman  Williams  of 
Woodstock  and  John  Porter  of  Hartford.  Thomas  E. 
Powers  of  Woodstock  was  made  superintendent.  At 
the  November  session  the  sum  of  thirty  thousand  dollars 
was  appropriated  in  addition  to  whatever  amount  should 
be  paid  by  Montpelier.  No  demand  was  made  upon  the 
people  of  the  capital,  but  about  ten  thousand  dollars  was 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    459 

paid.  The  Legislature  of  1858  refused  to  make  an  ap- 
propriation, and  a  fund  of  fifty-three  thousand  dollars 
was  raised  out  of  which,  after  the  payment  of  interest, 
and  the  expenses  of  discounting  the  paper  had  been  met, 
about  forty  thousand  dollars  was  available.  In  1859 
the  State  voted  an  additional  sum  of  thirty-four  thou- 
sand dollars. 

The  style  of  architecture  was  the  same  as  that  of  the 
second  capitol,  consisting  of  a  central  building  with  two 
wings.  In  front  of  the  main  edifice  a  Doric  portico  was 
erected,  72  feet,  8  inches  in  length,  with  a  projection 
«)f  18  feet.  This  building  was  surmounted  by  a  cupola 
and  dome,  56  feet,  9  inches  above  the  apex  of  the  portico. 
This  was  surmounted  by  a  statue  of  Agriculture,  the 
work  of  Larkin  G.  Mead.  The  wings  of  the  building 
were  52  feet  long  and  47  feet,  8  inches  high.  The  width 
of  each  wing  was  50  feet,  8  inches. 

The  Republican  State  Convention  was  held  at  Bur- 
lington, July  1,  1857.  The  platform,  reported  by  George 
P.  Marsh,  declared  that  the  people  of  Vermont  had  re- 
ceived the  decision  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court 
in  the  Dred  Scott  case  "with  profound  disappointment 
and  regret."  A  protest  was  made  against  the  sectional 
bias  of  the  court.  The  admission  of  Kansas  with  a 
Constitution  sanctioning  slavery  was  opposed  and  a  pro- 
test was  made  against  the  annexation  of  Cuba,  either 
by  filibustering  or  by  purchase.  Governor  Fletcher  was 
renominated  and  Henry  Keyes  again  was  named  the 
Democratic  candidate  for  Governor.  The  Whig  ticket 
of  the  previous  year  was  renominated.  Naturally,  the 
Democrats  sought  to  encourage  this  feeble  Whig  move- 


460  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

ment,  but  the  party  could  not  be  revived.  Governor 
Fletcher  was  reelected  by  a  majority  of  13,588  votes. 
The  Senate  was  unanimously  Republican.  The  Demo- 
cratic strength  in  the  House  was  about  thirty.  The 
official  vote  for  Governor  is  given  herewith:  Fletcher 
(Rep.),  26,719;  Keyes  (Dem.),  12,869;  scattering,  262. 
In  his  message  to  the  Legislature,  Governor  Fletcher 
called  attention  to  the  need  of  a  more  effective  militia 
system.  Alluding  to  the  railroads  of  Vermont,  he  said 
that  they  ''have  yet  generally  proved  unprofitable  to  those 
by  whose  energy  and  enterprise  they  were  constructed. 
In  some  instances  the  mortgages  given  to  secure  the 
payment  of  their  bonds  have  been  foreclosed,  and  the 
original  corporations  divested  of  all  interest  in  them.  In 
other  cases  legal  proceedings  have  been  commenced  to 
accomplish  a  similar  result.  The  legal  interest  and  man- 
agement of  most  of  our  railroads  will  thus,  in  all  prob- 
ability soon  be  vested  in  trustees,  under  mortgages, 
while  the  equitable  interest  and  real  ownership  will  be 
in  the  bondholders.  I  think  it  desirable  that  some  gen- 
eral law  be  enacted,  providing,  with  suitable  restrictions, 
that  in  such  cases  the  bondholders  may  form  themselves 
into  new  corporations  for  the  management  and  opera- 
tion of  their  respective  roads,  and  that  they  may  enjoy 
all  the  privileges  and  functions  of  the  old  companies." 
Although  conditions  did  not  demand  the  use  of  Ver- 
mont's appropriation  in  aid  of  needy  settlers  in  Kansas, 
the  Governor  was  proud  of  this  act  of  benevolence  and 
declared  that  he  would  always  remember  with  grateful 
exultation  the  fact  that  the  members  of  the  General 
Assembly  had  ''placed  thus  publicly  upon  our  Statute 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAX   PARTY    461 

Book  the  evidence  of  their  sympathy  for  the  oppressed 
and  destitute  victims  of  the  aggressive  spirit  of  slavery." 
lie  feared  that  the  Dred  Scott  decision  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court  left  little  hope  that  "the  spread 
of  slavery  will  ever  be  stopped  under  our  present  form 
of  government."  "The  logical  results  of  this  decision," 
he  continued,  "are  alarming  in  the  extreme.  =>=  *  * 
When,  if  the  alarming  prostitution  of  every  department 
of  the  General  Government  to  the  nefarious  behests  of 
slavery  shall  continue,  the  Supreme  Court  shall  declare 
authoritatively  what  they  have  already  foreshadowed, 
that  the  slaveholder  may  bring  into  the  Free  States 
his  train  of  slaves  and  hold  them  there  as  his  property, 
notwithstanding  the  absolute  prohibition  of  slavery  by 
their  constitutions  and  laws,  it  will  then,  in  that  day 
of  the  doom  of  the  Republic,  be  time  for  Vermont  and 
her  sister  Free  States  to  consider  what  course  they  shall 
take  to  maintain  and  enforce  a  right  she  has  never  yielded 
and  will  never  surrender,  the  absolute  and  total  prohibi- 
tion of  slavery  within  her  borders." 

A  railroad  law  was  passed  in  accordance  with  the 
Governor's  suggestion,  providing  that  when  the  mort- 
gage of  a  railroad  was  foreclosed,  a  majority  in  amount 
of  the  bondholders  secured  by  such  mortgage  might  form 
a  new  corporation.  The  salary  of  the  Governor  was 
increased  to  one  thousand  dollars,  and  that  of  the  Treas- 
urer to  five  hundred  dollars.  The  sum  of  eight  hundred 
dollars  was  appropriated  for  a  suitable  figure  to  be 
placed  on  the  State  House  dome.  The  Northern  Ver- 
mont Railroad  Company  was  incorporated,  authorizing 
the  building  of  a  railroad  from  Montpelier  to  Newport. 


462  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

The  popular  opposition  of  the  Dred  Scott  decision  was 
embodied  in  the  following  resolutions:  "Resolved, 
That  the  opinions  and  views  expressed  by  several  mem- 
bers of  that  (the  United  States  Supreme)  Court,  com- 
prising its  majority,  upon  questions  not  contained  in  the 
record  in  the  Dred  Scott  case,  are  extra-judicial  and 
political,  possessing  no  color  of  authority  or  binding 
force,  and  that  such  views  and  opinions  are  wholly  repu- 
diated by  the  people  of  Vermont. 

"Resolved,  That  Vermont  reasserts  the  constitutional 
right  of  Congress  to  regulate  slavery  in  the  Territories 
of  the  Union,  by  legislative  enactments;  that  such  right 
is  clearly  conferred  by  the  Constitution  itself,  and  its 
timely  exercise  is  indispensable  to  the  safety  and  per- 
petuity of  the  Union." 

At  the  opening  of  Congress  in  December,  1857,  Sena- 
tor Foot  was  assigned  to  the  Committee  on  Foreign 
Affairs  and  Senator  Collamer  to  the  Committees  on 
Judiciary  and  Territories.  In  the  House,  Mr.  Morrill 
was  dropped  from  the  Committee  on  Territories,  with  a 
change  in  the  political  control  of  that  body,  and  was 
assigned  to  Agriculture.  Mr.  Royce  was  placed  on  the 
Foreign  Affairs  Committee  and  Mr.  Walton  was 
assigned  to  the  Committee  on  Public  Expenditures. 

During  this  session  Mr.  Morrill  introduced  a  bill,  out- 
lining what  later  was  to  become  one  of  the  great  educa- 
tional policies  of  the  Nation.  This  measure  provided 
for  the  granting  of  lands  to  each  State  and  Territory 
for  a  college  which  should  furnish  special  instruction 
in  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts.  For  that  purpose 
twenty  thousand  acres  for  each  electoral  vote,  valued  at 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    4(i^ 

one  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre,  or  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  Vermont,  were  set  aside 
from  the  public  lands.  One-tenth  of  this  area  might  be 
used  for  experimental  farms  but  the  remainder  was  to 
be  used  for  endowment  purposes.  Each  State  was  to 
dispose  of  the  lands  granted  and  construct  necessary 
buildings.  This  bill  came  up  for  consideration  on  April 
20,  1858,  and  Mr.  Morrill  supported  it  in  a  convincing 
speech.  There  was  much  opposition  to  the  measure  in 
the  South,  the  principal  opponent  in  the  House  being 
W.  R.  W.  Cobb  of  Alabama.  The  bill  was  passed  by  a 
vote  of  104  to  101.  The  Woodstock  Standard  referred 
to  this  bill  as  *'the  most  popular  measure  that  has  been 
introduced  into  Congress  for  years."  The  Senate  was 
supposed  to  contain  a  majority  in  favor  of  the  bill,  but 
Senators  Clay  of  Alabama  and  Pugh  of  Ohio  intimated 
that  they  would  talk  against  time  to  prevent  its  passage 
before  adjournment,  and  it  was  not  considered.  In 
1859,  the  Senate  amended  the  bill  and  passed  it  by  a 
majority  of  three.  The  Boston  Journal,  commenting 
on  the  action  of  the  Senate,  referred  to  the  act  as  "an 
imperishable  monument  of  far-seeing  patriotism."  The 
House  concurred  in  the  Senate  amendments,  refusing  by 
a  vote  of  108  to  95,  to  lay  them  on  the  table.  President 
Buchanan,  however,  vetoed  the  bill. 

Early  in  1858,  Speaker  Orr  announced  a  special  com- 
mittee to  which  was  referred  that  portion  of  the  Presi- 
dent's message  relating  to  Kansas  affairs  in  which  the 
President  upheld  the  Lecompton,  or  pro-slavery  Consti- 
tution, and  Mr.  Morrill  of  Vermont  was  appointed  a 
member.     In  the  Senate  this  portion  of  the  message  was 


464  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

referred  to  the  Committee  on  Territories,  of  which  Sena- 
tor Collamer  was  a  member.  Senator  Foot  attacked  the 
Lecompton  Constitution  and  Senator  Collamer  made  a 
strong  speech,  setting  forth  the  Free  State  attitude,  hav- 
ing previously  presented  a  minority  report  for  Senator 
Wade  of  Ohio  and  himself.  In  Senator  Collamer 's 
speech  he  discussed  thoroughly  the  constitutional  right 
to  consider  slaves  as  property  and  to  take  such  property 
into  States  which  did  not  permit  the  holding  of  slaves. 
This  speech  was  attacked  by  Senator  Judah  P.  Benjamin 
of  Louisiana,  one  of  the  ablest  debaters  and  jurists  in 
the  Senate,  afterward  the  Secretary  of  State  under  the 
Confederate  government,  and  still  later  one  of  the  lead- 
ing lawyers  at  the  London  bar,  but  Senator  Collamer's 
argument  stood  the  test  unimpaired.  In  the  House,  Mr. 
Walton  attacked  the  President's  Kansas  policy.  The 
majority  of  the  special  committee  on  Kansas  refused  to 
investigate  the  subject.  To  Mr.  Morrill  was  assigned 
the  task  of  preparing  the  report  of  the  minority.  Thus 
two  Vermont  men,  Collamer  in  the  Senate  and  Morrill 
in  the  House,  led  the  Free  State  cause  and  presented  the 
minority  reports,  protesting  against  the  attempt  to  force 
upon  Kansas  a  constitution  recognizing  slavery. 

Although  Vermont  was  a  stronghold  of  anti-slavery 
sentiment,  the  radical  Abolitionists  did  not  have  a  large 
following.  At  an  anti-slavery  convention  held  at  Brad- 
ford, January  26  and  27,  1858,  an  attempt  was  made  to 
adopt  a  resolution  declaring,  "that  the  Union  which  was 
formed  in  sin  should  be  dissolved,  and  the  Constitution, 
which  was  formed  and  adopted  in  iniquity,  should  be 
repudiated,  and  thus  the  way  prepared  for  the  establish- 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAx\   PARTY    4G5 

nicnt  oi  a  new  Northern  Republic  in  wliich  justice  and 
righteousness  may  prevail."  This  resolution  was 
opposed  by  Governor  Fletcher,  and  after  a  long  debate 
was  defeated.  During  this  period  Republicans  were 
generally  called  Black  Republicans  by  their  opponents. 

Heretofore  the  Republican  State  Conventions  had  not 
been  called  under  a  distinctive  party  name,  although  the 
word  Republican  had  been  generally  used,  but  in  1858 
the  call  was  issued  for  a  Republican  convention,  which 
was  held  at  Montpelier,  on  June  29.  In  the  resolutions 
reported  by  Daniel  Roberts,  it  w-as  declared,  ''That  as 
representatives  of  the  Republican  party  of  Vermont  we 
glory  in  the  record  which  our  State  holds  up  to  the  world 
upon  the  questions  which  concern  the  natural  rights  and 
liberties  of  man — that  she  has  never  for  one  moment,  by 
constitution  or  laws,  sanctioned  the  guilty  fantasy  that 
there  can  be  property  in  man;  that  the  claim  of  superi- 
ority by  birth,  proscription  or  laws,  finds  no  warrant 
in  her  annals;  but  that  the  great  truths  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  sneered  at  by  some,  and  impiously 
denied  by  others,  have  been  to  our  people  a  solemn  and 
living  reality."  Reference  was  made  to  the  Dred  Scott 
decision  as  "that  crowning  shame  upon  Law,  Religion 
and  History,  crimsoning  the  records  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States."  Hiland  Hall  of  Benning- 
ton was  nominated  for  Governor,  and  Burnham  Martin 
of  Chelsea,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  Some  votes  were 
cast  for  Lawrence  Brainerd  of  St.  Albans  for  Governor. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention,  held  at  Bellows 
Falls  on  July  8,  declared  in  its  platform:  "We  heartily 
congratulate    our    worthy    Chief    Magistrate,    James 


466  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Buchanan,  his  Cabinet  and  the  National  Democracy  of 
the  Union,  on  the  disinterested,  patriotic,  triumphant  and 
satisfactory  settlement  of  the  Kansas  question,  which 
has  not  only  restored  peace  and  domestic  tranquility  to 
Kansas,  but  also  successfully  withdrawn  that  exciting 
topic  from  national  politics  and  Congress  and  Legisla- 
tures." Henry  Keyes  of  Newbury  was  nominated  for 
Governor  and  Wyllys  Lyman  of  Burlington  for  Lieu- 
tenant Governor. 

The  Vermont  Teachers'  Association  was  holding  a 
State  Convention  at  Bellows  Falls,  when  the  news  came 
of  the  opening  of  the  Atlantic  Cable,  and  the  exchange 
of  messages  between  President  Buchanan  and  Queen 
Victoria.  The  business  of  the  convention  was  sus- 
pended, an  appropriate  Scripture  lesson  was  read,  prayer 
was  offered  by  President  Calvin  Pease  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Vermont,  and  "Old  Hundred"  was  sung.  At 
Brandon,  on  September  1,  1858,  in  connection  with  the 
annual  muster  of  the  State  Militia,  the  opening  of  the 
Atlantic  Cable  was  celebrated  by  the  ringing  of  bells,  an 
illumination,  a  torchlight  procession  and  speeches  by 
Governor  Fletcher,  Lieutenant  Governor  Slade,  Con- 
gressman E.  P.  Walton,  Hiland  Hall,  Daniel  Roberts, 
and  others.  Governor  Fletcher,  in  behalf  of  the  people 
of  Vermont,  telegraphed  Cyrus  W.  Field,  the  leading 
spirit  in  securing  communication  by  wire  across  the 
Atlantic,  congratulating  him  on  "the  successful  termina- 
tion of  the  stupendous  enterprise  of  connecting  the  Old 
World  with  the  New,"  adding,  "What  God  in  His  provi- 
dence has  joined  together  let  no  man  put  asunder." 
Senator  Collamer,  for  the  Committee  on  Post-Offices  and 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    467 

i'ost-Roads,  had  reported  in  favor  of  a  bill  aiding  the 
ocean  telegraph  enterprise,  when  it  was  proposed  in  Con- 
gress; and  as  soon  as  Cyrus  W.  Field  returned  to  the 
Ignited  States  from  England,  he  telegraphed  the  Ver- 
mont Senator:  "Having  just  arrived  in  the  United 
States,  I  desire  at  the  earliest  moment  to  tender  you 
my  thanks  for  your  aid  in  behalf  of  the  great  enter- 
prise which  has  terminated  to  the  satisfaction  of  its 
most  ardent  friends."  In  a  speech  delivered  at  Burling- 
ton, Mr.  Field  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  when  a 
lx)ard  of  directors  for  the  cable  company  was  organized 
in  London,  "one  of  the  most  intelligent,  energetic  and 
judicious  members"  was  Curtis  L.  Lampson,  a  native  of 
New  Haven,  Vt.,  then  a  London  merchant.  Mr.  Lamp- 
son  was  afterward  knighted  by  Queen  Victoria. 

In  the  fall  election,  Hiland  Hall  was  chosen  Governor 
by  a  majority  of  16,140.     The  official  vote  was: 

Hiland  Hall 29,660 

Henry  Keyes 13,338 

Scattering    182 

The  Legislature  was  largely  Republican,  one  Demo- 
cratic Senator  being  elected.  George  F.  Edmunds  of 
Burlington  was  chosen  Speaker,  receiving  188  votes, 
while  38  were  cast  for  Horace  Wadsworth  (Dem.). 
The  Republican  Congressmen  were  reelected,  the 
majorities  being  as  follows:  Walton,  5,939;  Morrill, 
6,726;  Royce,  4,129. 

In  his  message  to  the  Legislature,  Governor  Hall 
asserted  that  the  State  government  of  Vermont  was 
more  purely  democratic  in  its  character  than  any  other 


468  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

in  America,  and  probably  more  democratic  than  any 
other  in  the  world.  In  discussing  the  militia  laws  he 
referred  to  the  dread  of  standing  armies,  which  (dread) 
our  forefathers  brought  with  them  from  over  seas. 
The  early  settlers  were  accustomed  to  a  daily  use  of 
firearms.  The  military  spirit  prevailed  until  the  close 
of  the  War  of  1812,  after  which  the  character  and 
efficiency  of  the  militia  rapidly  declined.  Service  was 
looked  upon  as  a  needless  burden.  There  were  two 
classes  of  militia,  the  enrolled  and  the  uniformed.  The 
listers  made  annual  returns  to  the  Adjutant  General  of 
all  persons  capable  of  bearing  arms,  and  they  were 
divided  nominally  into  regiments,  brigades  and  divi- 
sions. The  uniformed  militia  consisted  of  volunteers, 
one  or  two  companies  from  each  regiment,  who  provided 
their  own  equipment,  arms  excepted,  and  their  own  uni- 
forms, and  were  subject  to  drill,  inspection  and  muster. 
The  general  subject  of  the  militia  was  recommended  to 
the  attention  of  the  Legislature.  The  sympathy  of  the 
people  for  the  Free  State  men  in  Kansas  was  expressed 
and  disapproval  of  the  Dred  Scott  decision  was 
declared. 

The  Legislature  amended  the  school  law,  providing 
a  superintendent  of  schools  for  each  town.  One  of  the 
most  important  measures  was  an  act  to  secure  freedom 
to  all  persons  ''within  the  State."  It  provided  that  "no 
person  within  this  State  shall  be  considered  as  property, 
nor  shall  any  person  within  the  limits  of  this  State  at 
any  time  be  deprived  of  liberty  or  property  without  due 
process  of  law."  Any  person  not  an  inhabitant  of  the 
State,  arrested  or  detained  as  owing  service  or  labor,  was 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    409 

entitled  to  trial  by  jury.  Every  person  depriving  or 
attempting  to  deprive  any  other  person  of  his  liberty, 
contrary  to  the  provisions  of  the  act,  was  subject  to  a  fine 
varying  from  five  hundred  dollars  to  two  thousand  dol- 
lars, or  imprisonment  not  exceeding  ten  years.  One 
section  of  the  law  declared  that  "neither  descent  near  or 
remote  from  an  African,  whether  such  African  is  or  may 
have  been  a  slave,  or  not,  nor  color  of  skin  or  complexion, 
shall  disqualify  any  person  from  becoming  a  citizen  of 
this  State,  nor  deprive  such  person  of  the  rights  and 
privileges  thereof."  The  act  provided  that  every  person 
who  might  have  been  held  as  a  slave,  whether  brought 
with  or  without  the  consent  of  the  owner,  or  who  came 
voluntarily  or  involuntarily  into  the  State,  should  be 
free.  An  attempt  to  hold  any  person  as  a  slave  in  Ver- 
mont "for  any  time,  however  short,"  on  conviction  was 
to  be  confined  in  the  State  Prison  from  one  to  fifteen 
years,  and  fined  a  sum  not  to  exceed  two  thousand  dol- 
lars. This  bill  was  reported  by  Mr.  Marsh  of  Brandon 
for  a  select  committee,  and  was  one  of  the  most  drastic 
of  the  numerous  anti-slavery  measures  adopted  in 
Vermont. 

The  opinion  of  the  Legislature  regarding  the  Dred 
Scott  decision  was  expressed  in  these  resolutions: 
"Resolved,  That  the  doctrine  maintained  by  a  majority 
of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  case  of  Dred 
Scott,  that  slavery  now  exists,  by  virtue  of  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States  in  all  the  Territories,  and  in  all 
places  where  the  Federal  Government  has  jurisdiction — 
that  the  Constitution  carries  slavery  wherever  it  extends 


470  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

— has  no  warrant  in  the  Constitution  or  in  the  legislative 
or  judicial  history  of  the  country. 

"Resolved,  That  these  extra-judicial  opinions  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  are  a  dangerous 
usurpation  of  power,  and  have  no  binding  authority  upon 
Vermont  or  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

"Resolved,  That  no  ingenious  sophistry  of  the  Judges 
of  that  court  can  make  it  appear  that  the  citizens  of 
each  State  are  not  citizens  of  the  United  States;  and 
entitled  as  such,  to  all  rights  and  privileges  of  the  citi- 
zens of  the  several  States. 

"Resolved,  That  whenever  the  government  or  judici- 
ary of  the  United  States  refuses  or  neglects  to  protect  the 
citizens  of  each  State  in  their  lives  or  liberty,  when  in 
another  State  or  Territory,  it  becomes  the  duty  of  the 
sovereign  and  independent  States  of  this  Union  to  pro- 
tect their  own  citizens  at  whatever  hazard  or  cost." 

The  Legislature  refused  to  rebuild  the  Capitol  except 
at  the  expense  of  Montpelier.  There  was  considerable 
discussion  of  the  bill  to  extend  the  Vermont  &  Canada 
Railroad.  A  charter  was  granted  to  the  village  of 
Brattleboro. 

One  of  the  policies  of  the  Buchanan  administration  in 
1858-59  was  the  acquisition  of  Cuba.  Congressman 
Royce,  as  a  member  of  the  Foreign  Affairs  Committee, 
wrote  a  part  of  the  committee  report  opposing  Cuban 
annexation  and  delivered  a  speech  in  opposition  to  the 
President's  Cuban  policy.  Senator  Collamer  delivered 
an  elaborate  speech  in  which  he  opposed  a  1)ill  appropri- 
ating thirty  million  dollars  to  facilitate  the  acquisition 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    471 

of  Cuba,  as  a  measure  designed  to  strengthen  the  slave 
power. 

The  eighty-second  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Hub- 
bardton  was  observed  on  July  7,  a  monument  of  Rutland 
marble  being  dedicated  on  the  battle  field  in  the  presence 
of  about  five  thousand  people.  Henry  Clark  of  Poult- 
ney  delivered  an  historical  address  and  speeches  were 
made  by  D.  E.  Nicholson  of  Wallingford,  Colonel  Allen 
of  Fair  Haven  and  Congressman  E.  P.  Walton  of  Mont- 
pelier.  A  feature  of  the  exercises  was  a  sham  battle 
between  the  Allen  Greys,  representing  the  British  sol- 
diers, and  the  Green  Mountain  Boys. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention,  held  June  15,  1859, 
nominated  John  G.  Saxe  of  Burlington,  the  well  known 
poet,  for  Governor,  and  Stephen  Thomas  of  West  Fair- 
lee  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee on  resolutions  was  Charles  G.  Eastman  of  Mont- 
pelier,  another  Vermont  poet,  and  he  reported  a  platform 
which  declared  that  the  law^s  establishing  the  Territories 
of  Kansas  and  Nebraska  embodied  "the  only  sound  and 
safe  solution  of  the  slavery  question,  non-interference 
by  Congress  with  slavery  in  State  or  Territory  or  in  the 
District  of  Columbia."  The  acquisition  of  Cuba  was 
favored. 

The  Republican  State  Convention,  held  on  July  12, 
renominated  the  State  ticket  headed  by  Gov.  Hiland 
Hall.  The  platform  declared  that  the  doctrine  of  Popu- 
lar Sovereignty  was  "a  delusion  and  a  cheat,"  and  con- 
demned President  Buchanan's  course  in  vetoing  the  Mor- 
rill Land  Grant  College  bill  as  "an  act  deserving  the 
severest  censure  of  a  free  people,  the  basis  of  whose 


472  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

prosperity  is  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts." 
Chairman  L.  E.  Chittenden  of  the  State  Committee  re- 
ported that  Vermont  was  the  only  New  England  State 
to  hold  mass  conventions  for  the  nomination  of  a  State 
ticket,  and  on  motion  of  Prof.  G.  W.  Benedict  of  Bur- 
lington, a  delegate  convention  was  authorized. 

Governor  Hall  was  reelected  by  a  majority  of  16,700, 
the  official  vote  being,  Hall,  31,045;  Saxe,  14,328;  scat- 
tering, 17.  George  F.  Edmunds  of  Burlington  was  re- 
elected Speaker.  In  his  annual  message  Governor  Hall 
referred  to  the  new  State  House  as  *'a  noble  and  impos- 
ing structure,"  of  which  the  people  of  Vermont  had 
reason  to  be  proud.  Prohibition  of  the  sale  of  liquor 
had  become,  he  said,  "the  settled  and  approved  policy  of 
the  State."  Vermont,  of  all  the  New  England  States, 
was  without  a  reformatory  for  juvenile  offenders.  He 
protested  against  the  encroachment  upon  the  authority 
of  the  executive  by  means  of  joint  resolutions  adopted 
by  the  General  Assembly.  A  protest  was  made  against 
the  introduction  of  slavery  into  the  Territories.  Gov- 
ernor Hall  announced  that  he  would  not  be  a  candidate 
for  reelection. 

The  legislative  session  of  1859  provided  for  an  annual 
instead  of  a  biennial  inspection  of  the  militia.  A  bill 
authorizing  the  erection  of  a  statue  of  Ethan  Allen  for 
the  State  House  passed  the  House,  after  a  spirited  de- 
bate, by  a  vote  of  1 10  to  98.  The  Senate  passed  the  bill 
by  a  vote  of  27  to  0.  A  marble  statue  was  erected  on  the 
portico  of  the  State  House,  Larkin  G.  Mead,  a  native  of 
this  State,  being  the  sculptor.     It  was  unveiled  in  1861. 


RISK  OK  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    473 

Aficr  the  execution  of  John  Brown,  on  December  2, 
1859,  following  his  arrest  for  an  attempt  to  free  the 
slaves  at  Harper's  Kerry,  Va.,  Ciov.  Henry  A.  Wise  de- 
livered the  body  to  Mrs.  Brown,  who  brought  it  to  New 
York,  and  thence  to  Vergennes.  The  Lake  Champlain 
steamers  had  been  taken  off  their  routes  for  the  winter 
and  the  body  was  taken  by  team  to  Adams'  Kerry  and 
across  the  lake  to  Westport,  N.  Y.  The  next  day  the 
funeral  party  proceeded  to  Brown's  home  at  North  Elba, 
N.  Y.  The  funeral  was  held  on  December  8,  Rev. 
Joshua  Young  of  Burlington  being  the  officiating  clergy- 
man. Wendell  Phillips,  the  famous  orator,  and  anti- 
slavery  leader,  attended  the  services.  On  his  return 
from  North  Elba  he  addressed  a  largely  attended  meet- 
ing at  Vergennes,  denouncing  slavery.  It  is  said  that 
one  of  the  substantial  citizens,  after  the  delivery  of  the 
speech,  told  Mr.  Phillips  that  he  had  been  a  member  of 
an  Orthodox  church  for  many  years,  but  he  had  heard 
more  of  God's  truth  that  night  than  ever  before  in  all 
his  life.  Governor  Wise  of  Virginia  was  burned  in 
effigy  at  Brattleboro  following  the  execution  of  John 
Brown.  Senator  Collamer  was  appointed  a  member  of 
a  special  committee  to  investigate  the  Harper's  Kerry 
episode. 

The  census  of  1860  reported  the  population  of  Ver- 
mont as  315,098.  This  was  a  gain  of  only  978,  or  0.3 
per  cent.  There  was  much  dissatisfaction  over  the  poor 
showing  made  by  the  State,  and  the  accuracy  of  the 
census  was  questioned.  In  the  town  of  Georgia  the 
Selectmen  ordered  a  new  enumeration  and  reported  that 
the  census  takers  had  omitted  one  hundred  and  eighty- 


474  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

five  persons.  A  legislative  committee  was  appointed 
to  consider  the  expediency  of  taking  a  new  census.  The 
report  was  to  the  effect  that  the  enumeration  probably 
was  incorrect  but  the  taking  of  a  new  census  was  not 
considered  advisable. 

Burlington  again  ranked  as  the  largest  town  in 
the  State,  and  Rutland  was  a  close  second.  The 
towns  which  reported  a  population  greater  than 
2,500,  were  as  follows:  Burlington,  7,713;  Rutland, 
7,577;  Bennington,  4,389;  Northfield,  4,329;  Brattle- 
boro,  3,855;  St.  Albans,  3,637;  St.  Johnsbury,  3,469; 
Brandon,  3,077;  Woodstock,  3,062;  Colchester,  3,041; 
Springfield,  2,958;  Rockingham,  2,904;  Middlebury, 
2,879;  Castleton,  2,852;  Swanton,  2,678;  Newbury, 
2,549;  Danville,  2,544;  Highgate,  2,526;  Randolph, 
2,502. 

The  population  by  counties  was  as  follows : 

Addison    24,010 

Bennington 19,436 

Caledonia   21,698 

Chittenden    28,171 

Essex   5,786 

Franklin 27,231 

Grand  Isle   4,276 

Lamoille  12,311 

Orange 25,455 

Orleans 18,981 

Rutland 35,946 

Washington 27,622 

Windham 25,982 

Windsor 37,193 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    475 

Seven  counties  gained  and  seven  lost,  during  the 
decade.  The  approximate  gains  were  as  follows :  Ben- 
nington, 1,000;  Essex,  1,100;  Grand  Isle,  130;  Lamoille, 
1,400;  Orleans,  3,270;  Rutland,  2,880;  Washington, 
3,000.  The  approximate  losses  were  Addison,  2,500; 
Caledonia,  2,000;  Chittenden,  1,000;  Franklin,  1,350; 
Orange,  1,800;  Windham,  2,000;  Windsor,  1,100. 

In  1860  Vermont  ranked  twenty- third  as  a  manu fac- 
ing State.  There  were  1,883  manufacturing  establish- 
ments, employing  10,497  wage  earners.  The  capital 
invested  was  $9,498,617,  and  the  value  of  the  manufac- 
tured product  was  $14,637,807.  There  were  in  the 
State  46  woolen  mills  and  the  average  number  of  wage 
earners  was  2,073.  The  capital  invested  was  $1,746,300 
and  the  value  of  the  product  was  $2,938,626.  Two 
hosiery  mills  reported  an  output  of  $102,800.  There 
were  five  wool  carding  mills,  the  annual  value  of  their 
product  being  $22,511.  There  were  eight  cotton  mills 
in  the  State,  containing  17,600  spindles  and  362  looms. 
The  number  of  employees  was  379;  the  capital  invested, 
$271,200;  and  the  value  of  the  products,  $357,450. 
There  were  149  boot  and  shoe  establishments,  employ- 
ing 545  hands,  and  the  annual  value  of  the  product  was 
$442,566.  One  cordage  factory  produced  19  tons, 
valued  at  $10,000.  Vermont's  two  scale  factories  pro- 
duced goods  valued  at  $665,000,  or  more  than  half  the 
scale  output  of  the  United  States.  There  were  32  agri- 
cultural implement  factories,  with  an  output  valued  at 
$167,347.  There  were  108  leather  manufactories,  133 
carriage  shops,  64  furniture  factories,  60  establishments 
making  tin,  copper  and  sheet  iron  ware,  24  shops  manu- 


476  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

facturing  machinery,  50  marble  working  establishments, 
16  marble  quarries,  14  slate  quarries,  two  pig  iron  mills, 
one  bar,  sheet  and  railroad  iron  mill,  one  car  wheel  mill, 
one  sewing  machine  factory,  and  one  nail  factory.  Paper 
mill  products  were  valued  at  $227,800.  Rutland  county 
ranked  first,  with  336  manufacturing  establishments; 
Windham  second,  with  232;  Windsor  third,  with  225, 
and  Chittenden  fourth,  with  202. 

Agricultural  statistics  show  that  in  1860  there  were 
in  Vermont  2,823,157  acres  of  improved  and  1,451,257 
acres  of  unimproved  land,  valued  at  $94,289,045.  The 
average  value  per  farm  was  $3,619  and  the  average  value 
per  acre  $26.72.  Farming  implements  were  valued  at 
$3,665,955.  The  State  contained  69,071  horses,  174,667 
milch  cows,  42,639  working  oxen,  153,144  other  cattle, 
752,201  sheep,  and  52,912  swine.  The  value  of  live 
stock  was  $16,241,989.  Crop  reports  showed  437,037 
bushels  of  wheat,  139,271  bushels  of  rye,  1,525,411 
bushels  of  corn,  3,630,267  bushels  of  oats,  79,211  bushels 
of  barley,  5,253,498  bushels  of  potatoes,  70,654  pounds 
of  peas  and  beans,  225,415  bushels  of  buckwheat,  940,178 
tons  of  hay,  12,245  pounds  of  tobacco,  7,077  pounds  of 
flax  and  638,677  pounds  of  hops.  The  statistics  show 
that  during  this  year  623  bushels  of  sweet  potatoes  were 
grown  in  Vermont,  of  which  538  bushels  were  produced 
in  Orleans  county,  and  the  remainder  in  Caledonia, 
Grand  Isle  and  Windsor  counties.  Other  agricultural 
products  reported  were:  Orchard  products,  $211,693; 
butter,  15,900,359  pounds;  cheese,  8,215,030  pounds; 
wool,  3,118,950  pounds;  maple  sugar,  9,897,781  pounds; 
maple  syrup,  16,253  gallons;  honey,  212,150  pounds. 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    477 

Vermont  ranked  second  in  pounds  of  hops,  third  in 
pounds  of  cheese,  fifth  in  pounds  of  butter,  seventh  in 
bushels  of  potatoes,  eleventh  in  bushels  of  buckwheat, 
fourteenth  in  bushels  of  oats,  sixteenth  in  bushels  of 
barley,  eighteenth  in  bushels  of  rye,  twenty-sixth  in 
bushels  of  wheat,  thirtieth  in  bushels  of  corn,  thirteenth 
in  number  of  sheep,  nineteenth  in  number  of  milch  cows, 
twenty-second  in  value  of  live  stock,  twenty-third  in 
number  of  other  cattle,  twenty-fourth  in  number  of 
horses,  thirty-first  in  number  of  swine,  twenty-second  in 
cash  value  of  farms,  and  twenty-fourth  in  value  of  farm 
machinery  and  implements. 

In  1860  Vermont  was  the  first  flax  producing  State 
in  New  England,  and  manufactured  more  cheese  than 
all  the  Western  States  exclusive  of  Ohio.  Concerning 
wool,  the  census  report  for  1860  said:  "At  present  as 
fine  sheep  as  any  in  the  world  are  produced,  especially  in 
Vermont.  *  =i=  *  ^t  the  International  Exhibition  in 
Hamburg,  in  June,  1863,  Vermont  Merino  sheep  took 
two  first  prizes,  as  having  the  heaviest  fleeces  and  the 
longest  wool  of  any  of  that  class  exhibited,  although  the 
choicest  flocks  of  Europe  were  represented." 

Business  conditions  at  the  opening  of  the  year  1860 
were  far  from  satisfactory.  The  country  had  passed 
through  a  severe  panic  in  1857,  and  had  not  recovered 
from  its  efifects.  During  President  Buchanan's  term 
the  treasury  receipts  had  not  been  suflBcient  to  meet  the 
annual  appropriations  of  Congress  and  the  steadily 
mounting  national  debt  was  seriously  impairing  the 
credit  of  the  United  States.  The  necessity  of  raising 
more  revenue  was  apparent,  and  a  sub-committee  of  the 


478  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Ways  and  Means  Committee  was  appointed  to  formulate 
a  tarijfif  bill,  with  Mr.  Morrill  of  Vermont  as  chairman. 
Henry  Winter  Davis  of  Maryland  and  William  A. 
Howard  of  Michigan,  Thaddeus  Stevens  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  George  H.  Pendleton  of  Ohio  also  assisted  in 
the  task. 

Although  he  came  from  a  rural  State,  and  his  business 
had  been  that  of  a  country  merchant  and  farmer,  Mr. 
Morrill  brought  to  his  responsibe  task  a  mind  singularly 
well  fitted  for  dealing  with  this  great  financial  prob- 
lem. Speaking  at  a  later  date  of  his  training  for  this 
work  and  referring  to  the  beginning  of  his  mercantile 
career,  he  said: 

"At  that  time,  the  Boston  Courier  and  the  Boston 
Advertiser  published  with  the  price  lists  of  raw  articles 
the  rate  of  duty  on  them.  These  papers  were  taken  by 
me  and  from  them  I  learned  my  tariff  A  B  C's,  and  I  got 
my  first  definite  figures  about  the  rate  of  duty.  I  gained 
more  information  from  the  National  Intelligencer,  pub- 
lished in  Washington.  It  was  our  best  political  author- 
ity and  it  contained  very  able  articles  by  such  men  as 
Gales.  I  also  obtained  such  books  on  political  economy 
as  Smith's  'Wealth  of  Nations,'  and  then  I  began  to 
attend  Whig  public  meetings.  South  Carolina's  nullifi- 
cation compelled  General  Jackson,  as  well  as  everybody 
else,  to  study  the  tariff."  Mr.  Morrill  toiled  early  and 
late  on  the  preparation  of  the  tariff  bill,  and  in  March, 
1860,  he  introduced  the  measure  in  the  House,  opening 
the  debate  in  an  able  speech,  in  which  he  said:  "No 
prohibitory  duties  have  been  aimed  at;  but  to  place  our 
people  upon  the  level  of  fair  competition  with  the  rest  of 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    479 

the  world  was  thought  to  be  no  more  than  reasonable. 
Most  of  the  highest  duties  fixed  upon  have  been  so  fixed 
more  with  a  view  to  revenue  than  protection."  The  bill 
raised  the  duties  on  imported  merchandise  from  an  aver- 
age of  19  per  cent  to  an  average  of  36  per  cent.  The 
bill  not  only  dealt  with  the  fixing  of  duties  on  imports 
but  it  also  provided  for  the  payment  of  outstanding 
treasury  notes  and  gave  the  President  authority  to  bor- 
row an  additional  ten  million  dollars  in  bonds  or  treasury 
notes  and  to  substitute  treasury  notes  for  the  whole  or 
any  part  of  money  he  was  authorized  to  borrow  by  pre- 
vious acts. 

This  measure  passed  the  House  on  May  10,  1860,  by 
a  majority  of  forty-one.  Referring  to  the  passage  of 
this  bill,  Mr.  Morrill  said: 

''A  good  many  things  in  the  House  which  I  did  not 
want  have  been  put  in  the  bill.  The  majority  had  not 
always  agreed  with  me  nor  with  the  Ways  and  Means 
Committee,  but  had  rather  botched  it  in  some  places. 
John  Sherman,  who  was  acting  chairman  of  our  com- 
mittee, came  to  me  and  said :  'Have  you  a  clean  copy  of 
the  bill  as  you  want  it  to  be?  If  you  have,  give  it  to  me 
and  I  will  have  it  passed.'  I  gave  him  a  copy  of  the  bill 
as  I  desired  to  have  it  and  it  was  reported  to  the  House 
by  Mr.  Sherman  and  moved  as  a  substitute  for  the  bill 
which  had  been  under  consideration  in  committee  of  the 
w'hole  and  it  was  passed  under  the  previous  question  as 
the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  had  been  passed  by  the 
Democrats." 

The  bill  came  up  in  the  Senate  at  the  next  session, 
early  in  1861,  and  by  a  strict  party  vote  of  twenty-five  to 


480  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

fourteen  was  adopted  substantially  as  it  passed  the 
House.  There  was  much  Southern  opposition  to  the 
measure  but  owing  to  the  secession  of  several  States, 
enough  Democrats  had  left  the  Senate  to  give  the  Repub- 
licans a  substantial  majority,  and  this  made  possible  the 
passage  of  the  bill  on  March  2,  1861.  The  measure  was 
signed  by  President  Buchanan  on  March  3,  1861,  the 
day  before  he  went  out  of  office.  This  measure  was 
called  the  Morrill  tariff  by  James  Brooks  of  New  York 
and  others,  who  bitterly  opposed  it,  and  the  name 
stuck. 

One  of  the  great  tasks  accomplished  in  this  bill  was 
the  change  of  almost  the  entire  system  of  revenue  from 
an  ad  valorem  to  a  specific  basis.  James  G.  Blaine  in 
his  "Twenty  Years  of  Congress"  refers  to  the  Morrill 
tariff  as  "a  change  equivalent  to  a  revolution  in  the 
economic  and  financial  system  of  the  Ck>vernment." 

Mr.  Blaine  further  says:  ''The  passage  of  the  Mor- 
rill tariff  was  an  event  which  would  almost  have  marked 
an  era  in  the  history  of  the  Government  if  public  opinion 
had  not  been  at  once  absorbed  in  struggles  which  were 
far  more  engrossing  than  those  of  legislative  halls.  It 
was,  however,  the  beginning  of  a  series  of  enactments 
which  deeply  affected  the  interests  of  the  country  and 
which  exerted  no  small  influence  upon  the  financial 
ability  of  the  Government  to  endure  the  heavy  expendi- 
ture entailed  by  the  war  which  immediately  followed. 

"It  was  a  singular  combination  of  circumstances 
which  on  the  eve  of  the  revolt,  led  to  the  inauguration  of 
the  policy  that  gave  such  industrial  and  financial  strength 
to  the  Union  in  its  hour  of  dire  necessity  and  the  very 


Gen.  George  J.  Stannard 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    481 

crisis  of  its  fate.  *  *  *  y^ie  Morrill  tariff  was 
found  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  situation  to  such  a 
degree  that  when  Congress  came  together  in  response  to 
the  call  of  President  Lincoln  Mr.  Thaddeus  Stevens, 
as  head  of  the  committee  charged  with  the  subject,  in- 
formed the  House  that  it  had  been  determined  not  to 
enter  upon  a  general  revision." 

In  this  connection,  Mr.  Blaine  spoke  of  Mr.  Morrill 
as  ''one  of  the  most  useful,  industrious,  and  honorable 
members  of  the  House." 

Nicolay  and  Hay's  "Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln" 
says  of  the  Morrill  Tariff  Act,  that  it  "had  the  double 
effect  of  materially  increasing  the  customs  receipts  and 
stimulating  the  productive  energies  of  the  country.  It 
went  into  operation  on  the  first  of  April  (1861),  and 
thus  its  quickening  and  strengthening  help  came  just  at 
the  opportune  moment,  when  the  Nation  was  compelled 
to  gird  up  its  loins  for  a  gigantic  war.  *  *  *  When 
a  few  days  later,  Lincoln  became  President  and  Chase 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  they  could  look  with  a  little 
less  dizziness  into  the  financial  gulf  already  open,  and 
constantly  widening  before  their  vision,  remembering 
that  by  the  terms  of  this  act  they  had  power  to  issue 
about  forty  millions  of  treasury  notes  without  further 
legislation." 

The  Democratic  National  Convention  of  1860  met 
at  Charleston,  S.  C,  on  April  23.  The  Vermont  dele- 
gates-at-large  were  Ex-Gov.  John  S.  Robinson  of  Ben- 
nington, Henry  Keyes  of  Newbury,  Jasper  Rand  of  West 
Berkshire  and  E.  M.  Brown  of  Woodstock.  The  dis- 
trict delegates  were  Charles  G.  Eastman  of  Montpelier, 


482  HISTORY  OF  VERMONT 

Pitt  W.  Hyde  of  Hydeville,  E.  B.  Chase  of  Lyndon, 
Henry  E.  Stoughton  of  Bellows  Falls,  Lucius  Robinson 
of  Newport  and  H.  B.  Smith  of  Milton.  Stephen 
Thomas  of  West  Fairlee  acted  as  alternate  for  Mr. 
Chase.  The  convention  was  called  to  order  by  Judge 
David  A.  Smalley  of  Vermont,  chairman  of  the  Demo- 
cratic National  Committee.  Jasper  Rand  was  named  as 
vice  president  for  Vermont  and  Pitt  W.  Hyde  was 
appointed  one  of  the  secretaries,  being  made  chairman 
of  the  recording  secretaries.  On  the  morning  of  the 
third  day  of  the  convention,  Ex-Governor  Robinson, 
chairman  of  the  Vermont  delegation,  died  suddenly  of 
apoplexy  at  his  rooms  at  the  Mills  House.  His  death 
was  announced  to  the  Convention  by  Mr.  Stoughton. 
On  motion  of  a  Florida  delegate,  suitable  resolutions 
were  adopted  and  the  convention  adjourned  as  a  mark 
of  respect.  On  the  following  day  the  delegates  accom- 
panied the  body  from  the  hotel  to  the  New  York  steam- 
boat. 

In  the  contest  over  the  adoption  of  a  platform,  the 
Vermont  delegates  supported  the  Free  State  faction  of 
the  party  favoring  the  doctrine  of  Popular  Sovereignty 
advocated  by  Senator  Douglas.  Vermont  supported 
Douglas  as  a  Presidential  candidate  on  all  of  the  fifty- 
seven  ballots  taken,  until  the  convention  adjourned 
without  reaching  a  choice.  When  it  reassembled  at 
Baltimore  on  June  18,  the  majority  of  the  Vermont  dele- 
gation supported  the  report  of  the  committee  on  creden- 
tials advocated  by  the  friends  of  Douglas,  but  a  minority 
opposed.  Vermont  supported  Douglas  until  his  nomi- 
nation was  secured,  although  Mr.  Stoughton  challenged 


RISK  OK  TllK  RKKL'BLICAN   PARTY    483 

the  accuracy  of  the  vote  and  became  a  member  of  the 
seceding  convention  which  nominated  John  C.  Brecken- 
ridge  for  President,  being  the  only  Vermont  representa- 
tive in  that  body.  Thirty  guns  were  fired  at  Brandon 
on  June  26,  in  honor  of  the  nomination  of  Stephen  A. 
Douglas  for  the  Presidency;  and  citizens  assembled  in 
front  of  the  candidate's  birthplace  in  that  village  and 
gave  three  cheers. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention,  attended  by  sup- 
porters of  Senator  Douglas,  nominated  John  G.  Saxe  of 
Burlington  for  Governor,  Stephen  Thomas  of  West 
Kairlee  for  Lieutenant  Governor,  and  Isaac  E.  Bowdish 
of  Swanton  and  Paul  Dillingham  of  Waterbury  for 
Electors-at-large.  Stephen  Thomas,  one  of  the  Demo- 
cratic delegates,  described  the  sessions  of  the  National 
Convention  and  referred. to  H.  E.  Stoughton  as  a  traitor 
to  his  party.  In  his  opinion  the  nomination  of  Douglas, 
a  son  of  Vermont,  would  strengthen  the  Democratic 
ticket,  adding  thousands  of  votes  to  the  regular  party 
strength.  President  Buchanan  supported  the  Breckin- 
ridge faction  of  the  party,  and  Mr.  Saxe  spoke  disparag- 
ingly of  the  President's  Democracy.  He  said  Vermont 
Democrats  were  asked  to  spit  upon  their  platform,  turn 
a  double  somersault,  and  proclaim  themselves  in  favor 
of  a  slave  code  for  the  Territories.  For  one  he  found 
it  hazardous  to  put  very  implicit  trust  in  Princes  or 
Presidents.  This  convention  was  attended  by  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  persons. 

The  Breckinridge  faction  of  the  Democratic  party 
held  a  State  Convention  at  White  River  Junction, 
August  7.     Every  county  was  represented  and  the  esti- 


484  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

mated  attendance  varied  from  seven  hundred  to  one 
thousand.  It  was  said  at  the  time  to  have  been  one  of 
the  most  largely  attended  Democratic  conventions  ever 
held  in  Vermont.  The  convention  was  called  to  order 
by  Henry  E.  Stoughton  of  Bellows  Falls,  Willys  Lyman 
of  Burlington  was  temporary  chairman  and  A.  M. 
Dickey  of  Bradford  was  elected  president  of  the  conven- 
tion. Hiram  Atkins  of  Bellows  Falls  was  one  of  the 
secretaries.  This  ticket  was  nominated:  For  Gov- 
ernor, Robert  Harvey  of  Barnet;  Lieutenant  Governor, 
Giles  Harrington  of  Alburg;  Treasurer,  Samuel  Wells 
of  Montpelier;  Electors-at-large,  Henry  R.  Campbell  of 
Burlington  and  Ephraim  Chamberlin  of  St.  Johnsbury. 
Speeches  were  made  by  Timothy  P.  Redfield  and  others. 
Breckinridge  district  and  county  conventions  were 
called  and  the  support  for  the  Southern  element  of  the 
party  seemed  formidable,  particularly  so  when  it  was 
considered  that  the  nominee  of  the  Northern  faction 
was  a  native  Vermonter.  Five  Vermont  newspapers 
supported  Douglas  and  four  advocated  the  election  of 
Breckinridge.  Election  day,  however,  showed  the  Breck- 
inridge vote  to  be  much  smaller  than  the  attendance  at 
the  White  River  Junction  convention  had  indicated. 

The  call  for  the  Republican  National  Convention  was 
signed  by  Lawrence  Brainerd,  the  Vermont  member  of 
the  National  Committee.  Previous  to  the  opening  of 
the  convention  at  Chicago  it  was  reported  that  Vermont 
sentiment  was  divided  between  William  H.  Seward  of 
New  York  and  Nathaniel  P.  Banks  of  Massachusetts 
as  Presidential  candidates.  The  delegates-at-large  were 
E.  N.  Briggs  of  Brandon,  P.  T.  Washburn  of  Wood- 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    485 

stock,  E.  1).  Alason  of  Richnidiid  and  E.  J).  Rcdington 
of  St.  Johnsbury.  The  district  delegates  were  John  W. 
Stewart  of  Middlebury,  E.  B.  Burton  of  Manchester, 
Hugh  H.  Henry  of  Chester,  William  Hebard  of  Chelsea, 
William  Clapp  of  St.  Albans  and  Edward  B.  Sawyer  of 
Hyde  Park.  Mr.  Washburn  was  elected  chairman  and 
Mr.  Sawyer,  secretary. 

No  Presidential  candidate  had  a  clear  majority,  and 
there  was  a  keen  competition  for  the  unpledged  dele- 
gates. On  May  15,  Messrs.  Curtin  and  McClure  of 
Pennsylvania  appeared  before  the  Vermont  delegation 
on  behalf  of  Edward  Bates  of  Missouri,  Horace 
Greeley  of  New  York  also  appeared  in  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Bates.  William  M.  Evarts  advocated  the  candi- 
dacy of  Mr.  Seward  and  made  a  forceful  and  an  impres- 
sive argument,  which,  it  is  said,  would  have  won  the 
Vermonters,  had  not  Indiana  and  New  Jersey  delegates 
asserted  that  Seward  could  not  possibly  be  elected.  The 
contest  resolved  itself  into  the  field  against  Seward,  and 
most  of  the  Vermonters  wanted  to  support  the  New  York 
candidate.  Reluctantly  they  abandoned  him,  being  con- 
vinced that  he  could  not  win.  It  was  known  that  the 
first  ballot  would  be  indecisive  and  Vermont's  votes 
were  cast  for  Senator  Jacob  Collamer,  as  a  deserved 
compliment  to  a  fellow  Vermonter,  and  in  order  to  await 
developments.  On  the  second  ballot  the  Vermont  dele- 
gation voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln  of  Illinois.  The 
Burlington  Free  Press  correspondent  wrote  of  this 
action:  "This  presaged  and  greatly  influenced  the  final 
result.  It  is,  perhaps,  too  much  to  assert  that  the  vote 
of  Vermont  decided  the  matter ;  but  still  the  fact  that 


486  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

Vermont,  with  all  her  preference  for  Mr.  Seward,  was 
the  first  State  to  change  her  vote  entire  to  Mr.  Lincoln 
was  a  most  unfavorable  omen  for  Mr.  Seward's  pros- 
pects, and  the  faces  of  his  friends  dropped  visibly  as  the 
vote  of  Vermont  was  declared."  On  the  succeeding 
ballots  the  Vermont  votes  were  cast  for  Lincoln  until  he 
was  nominated.  On  motion  of  Mr.  Washburn  of  Ver- 
mont the  thanks  of  the  convention  were  tendered  to  Mr. 
Ashmun  of  Massachusetts,  the  presiding  officer,  for  his 
ability  and  courtesy. 

The  nomination  of  Lincoln  was  cordially  received  in 
Vermont.  At  Burlington  a  flag  was  raised  and  it  was 
saluted  by  a  discharge  from  a  cannon  brought  from  the 
Vergennes  arsenal.  The  Burlington  Free  Press  declared 
that  a  large  majority  of  Vermont  voters  would  have  pre- 
ferred Seward,  but  said:  *Tt  is  a  noble  nomination  of 
a  noble  and  true  hearted  Republican."  The  Montpelier 
Watchman  said :  "We  firmly  believe  that  if  it  had  been 
left  to  Vermont  alone  to  say  who  should  be  the  next 
President  of  the  United  States,  William  H.  Seward 
would  have  been  the  man.  But  other  States  saw  and 
expressed  their  want  of  ability  to  give  him  their  electoral 
vote,  and  indicated  another  man.  Vermont  was  safe 
also  for  the  man  who  would  carry  the  doubtful  States, 
and  her  first  choice  was  yielded  to  the  good  of  the  cause 
— the  almost  certain  prospect  of  defeat  with  Mr.  Seward 
was  yielded  to  the  certain  prospect  of  victory  with  Mr. 
Lincoln — and  the  people  already  approve  the  course  of 
their  delegates.  Lincoln  and  Hamlin  will  be  the  watch- 
word that  will  light  up  the  Green  Mountain  hills  until 
next  November." 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTY    487 

The  State  Republican  Convention  was  held  at  Rutland 
on  June  27.  The  contest  for  the  Governorship  nomi- 
nation was  between  Frederick  Holbrcx)k  of  Brattleboro 
and  Ex-Governor  Fairbanks  of  St.  Johnsbury.  Mr. 
Holbrook's  name  was  withdrawn,  however,  before  a  bal- 
lot was  taken.  The  ticket  nominated  was  headed  by 
the  names  of  Erastus  Fairbanks  for  Governor  and  Levi 
Underwood  of  Burlington  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 
Peter  T.  Washburn,  one  of  Vermont's  delegates  to 
Chicago,  related  the  story  of  the  National  Convention, 
saying  that  Vermont  was  the  first  of  all  the  States  to 
change  its  entire  vote  to  Lincoln. 

The  Constitutional  Union  party,  made  up  largely  of 
old  line  Whigs  and  remnants  of  the  Know  Nothing- 
party,  nominated  John  Bell  of  Tennessee  for  President 
and  Edward  Everett  of  Massachusetts  for  Vice  Presi- 
dent. A  State  Convention  representing  this  party  was 
held  at  White  River  Junction  on  September  5,  and  nomi- 
nated an  Electoral  ticket. 

An  incident  of  the  campaign  of  1860  was  the  visit 
of  Stephen  A.  Douglas  to  his  native  State.  He  arrived 
at  Rutland  on  Saturday,  July  28,  spent  Sunday  in  his 
native  town  of  Brandon,  and  arrived  at  Burlington  wdth 
Mrs.  Douglas  on  Monday  morning,  July  30.  He  was 
met  at  the  railroad  station  by  Judge  David  A.  Smalley, 
I.  B.  Bowdish,  John  G.  Saxe  and  George  P.  Marsh. 
Mr.  Marsh  supported  Lincoln  but  had  known  Mr.  Doug- 
las in  Congress.  The  candidate  was  escorted  to  the 
Town  Hall  by  the  Howard  Guards,  where  he  addressed 
a  large  audience,  speaking  nearly  an  hour.  He  started 
out  with  the  intention  of  delivering  a  non-partisan  speech 


488  HISTORY   OF  VERMONT 

but  during  the  course  of  his  remarks  he  defended  the 
doctrine  of  Popular  Sovereignty,  for  which  he  apolo- 
gized. He  closed  with  a  complimentary  allusion  to  Bur- 
lington, saying  he  had  visited  the  most  beautiful  portions 
of  Europe,  but  considered  this  the  most  beautiful  town 
site  in  the  world.  Returning  to  the  American  House, 
he  met  delegations  from  St.  Albans,  Plattsburg,  N.  Y., 
and  other  towns,  leaving  for  Montpelier  in  the  evening. 

The  Presidential  candidate  reached  the  State  capital 
about  eleven  o'clock,  Monday  night,  where  a  great  crowd 
awaited  his  arrival.  Shops  and  dwellings  were  illum- 
inated, bonfires  were  kindled,  cannon  were  fired,  fire- 
works were  burned  and  a  torchlight  procession  formed 
an  escort.  He  was  taken  to  the  Pavilion  Hotel  and  from 
the  balcony  addressed  the  assembled  throng.  He 
expressed  his  gratitude  for  the  greetings  of  people  of 
all  political  parties,  alluded  to  the  early  history  of  Ver- 
mont, discussed  Popular  Sovereignty,  which  he  said  was 
nothing  more  or  less  than  simply  minding  one's  own 
business  and  letting  one's  neighbor  alone.  On  Tuesday 
morning  he  called  on  Charles  G.  Eastman,  then  stricken 
with  a  fatal  illness,  made  a  brief  visit  to  the  State 
House,  and  left  for  Concord,  N.  H.  Mr.  Eastman's 
health  failed  while  he  was  attending  the  Charleston 
Convention.  He  was  taken  ill  at  Burlington,  where  he 
remained  several  weeks  before  he  could  be  removed  to 
his  home  in  Montpelier.     He  died  September  16,  1860. 

Governor  Fairbanks  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  more 
than  twenty  thousand.  The  official  vote  was  as  follows : 
Erastus  Fairbanks,  34,188;  John  G.  Saxe,  11,795;  Rob- 
ert Harvey,  2,115;  scattering,  3.     There  were  twenty- 


RISE  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN   PARTV    489 

one  Democratic  members  in  the  House,  and  one  in  the 
Senate.  Augustus  P.  Hunton  of  Bethel  was  elected 
Speaker.  The  Governor  delivered  his  message  in  person 
instead  of  transmitting  it  in  writing,  according  to  the 
usual  custom.  He  favored  the  election  of  Town  Repre- 
sentatives, and  all  officers  chosen  by  the  General 
Assembly,  by  plurality  vote.  Referring  to  threats  of 
secession  by  Southern  States,  he  said  that  the  people  of 
V^ermont  "can  never  be  compromised  vVith  schemes  for 
its  (the  Union's)  dissolution  but  will  resist  the  hand  that 
dares  to  'calculate  its  value,'  and  will  invoke  if  necessary, 
the  national  arm  for  its  preservation."  He  favored  a 
protective  tariff  and  internal  improvements,  and  an- 
nounced that  he  would  not  be  a  candidate  for  reelection. 
The  Legislature  passed  an  act  to  prevent  prize  fight- 
ing and  fixed  a  penalty  for  bringing  into  the  State  cattle 
known  to  have  been  exposed  to  pleuro-pneumonia.  A 
deficit  was  reported  in  the  accounts  of  J.  M.  Bates,  State 
Treasurer.  The  Ways  and  Means  Committee  investi- 
gated his  affairs  and  found  that  they  had  been  loosely 
kept  for  a  long  time,  there  being  errors  in  favor  of  and 
against  the  State  in  dealing  with  the  towns.  He 
assigned  to  his  bondsmen  property  which  he  valued  at 
thirty-five  thousand  dollars.  The  Legislature  passed  a 
bill  providing  for  better  protection  of  the  State  Treas- 
ury. A  joint  resolution  was  adopted,  directing  the  com- 
mittee appointed  to  revise  the  statutes,  to  examine  all 
la